Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, adapted by Monique Gray Smith

 

 “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.”

 Dino Christalopoulos

   Sweetgrass is considered to be the hair of Mother Earth in Potawatomi culture, and to braid it is to show loving care for her well-being. Sweetgrass has medicinal properties and is traditionally used to make baskets. The fragrance of sweetgrass combines the sweetness of vanilla with the fresh scent of moist earth.

 The author writes, “I could hand you a braid of sweetgrass as thick and shining as the braid that hung down my grandmother’s back. But it is not mine to give, nor yours to take. Wingaashk belongs to herself.”

 As an educator, I want to recommend Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This specific edition adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith contains questions that spark meaningful conversations, reflections and a wellspring of ideas to write essays.

   This book is an excellent resource to awaken an interest in how plants are woven into our cultures and how our connection with animals and plants can teach us how to share the world with others.

  I think the content of the book can be incorporated into the curriculum of science, literature and history, and I hope Braiding Sweetgrass will be translated into other languages, for it is an invaluable resource for high schoolers and teachers across the world.

   I hope every school library owns one of these books.

  The author is a plant scientist and a poet. Her writing style is irresistible, poetical and impeccable. Robin Wall Kimmerer had her writing published in scientific journals as well as literary ones. She is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is a distinguished professor of Environmental Biology and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the environment.

 Braiding Sweetgrass integrates history and scientific facts about plants and ecosystems. It also shares illustrated stories. Each chapter offers questions that induce readers to muse on our relationships and interactions with one another, Mother Earth and other living beings.

  Each chapter inspires readers to behold the world through fresh eyes, contemplate their surroundings with empathy and curiosity and make respectful choices that embody gratitude, reciprocity and the spirit of cooperation.

  There are many interesting facts and historical details that help us to understand that respect for the land is also about respecting and healing ourselves. In practical terms, her introspective narrative can bring awareness and lead to constructive solutions on many levels.

 It is time for economists to acknowledge that we should not ignore the limitations of a finite planet. The consequences of neglecting the ecological dimension of the financial challenges have a cost. She writes, “Ecological economists argue for reforms. They work to ground economics in ecological principles that are constrained by thermodynamics. If we want to maintain quality of life, they urge that we must sustain natural capital and ecosystem services.”

  I appreciate how she threads into her unpretentious prose the teachings and wisdom of the Potawatomi culture. For example, here’s a passage that illustrates this:

  “In Potawatomi and many other Indigenous languages, it is not possible to speak of living beings as it. Sure, we still have words for objects—desk, tractors, phone, but they do not describe anything living. Objects made by humans are inanimate.”  It is different from the way they refer to living beings. In Potawatomi culture they apply their own grammar of respect to living beings, which she refers to as the grammar of animacy. She expresses this clearly, “We use words to address the living world, just as we use for our family. Because they are our family.”

  She wonders if there is a way to bring animacy into the English Language. You can read page 12 for more details on her suggestions and her intention.

  The illustrations by Nicole Neidhart add a charming, amusing touch to the edition for young adults, and I’m sure they will inspire many students to express themselves through art as well.

 On Indigenous stories and why she chose to include them

“I am a listener and I have been listening to stories told around me for longer than I care to admit. I mean to honor my teachers by passing on the stories that they have passed on to me and have done my best to give credit to who and where these stories came from.”

  The book offers the opportunity to reflect at the crossroads we are now and to choose a path of collaboration.

  Separation from Mother Nature is a state of loneliness, a detachment from reality that compromises our health. We see it on a regular basis when we encounter the arrogance of those who deny the lifesaving nature of this connection, the fact that we exist as part of a whole. When we kill that sense of belonging from our awareness, we are deprived of health and harmony in the way we live our lives.

 Robin Wall Kimmerer describes this as a “species loneliness.” She writes, “It is a deep unnamed sadness stemming from separation from the rest of Creation, from the loss of relationship. As our human dominance of the world has grown, we have become more and more isolated.”

 Yet Mother Earth gives us the chance to heal our relationship with her. When you feel overwhelmed, take some time outdoors. Infuse the body with the fresh fragrance of the earth…

 “Recent research has shown that the smell of humus exerts a physiological effect on humans. Breathing in the scent of Mother Earth stimulates within us the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a brain chemical that plays a role in regulating mood and behavior.” 

  I disagree with the author when she attaches the label of “Western” to distorted views on nature, because she establishes a false dichotomy—Western versus Eastern-- that does not reflect the truth. The use of those labels is misleading. If these labels were reflective of the truth, we would not be witnessing the brutal slaughter of whales by the Japanese government, and Indonesia would not have destroyed seventy percent of its forests.

 There is work to do everywhere. Both the Western and Eastern worlds need to be part of this movement of solidarity and respect for the land and her creatures. On the other hand, the use of labels and generalizations leads to lack of accountability and a pattern of lazy thinking. It sows prejudices and divisive attitudes that refuse to welcome each individual as a unique contributor to the forest of life. 

  The strong foundation of the book lies in the precious teachings of the Honorable Harvest and the Thanksgiving address.

  I will be returning to Braiding Sweetgrass often to reread parts of it. This unique book transports the self to a setting of peace and harmony, a land of inspiration and reunion with one’s intuition and love for nature.

 

 To gain a better understanding on the need to incorporate ecological economics into mainstream economics, feel free to read this interview with Robert Costanza, en ecological economist:

 https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-is-ecological-economics

 I found a more updated article by Robert Costanza, so I am sharing it here:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/beyond-growth-eu-economy-gdp-sustainable-wellbeing/

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

 

   Kamala means “lotus flower.” The Lotus Flower symbolizes resilience and strength. I don’t normally read memoirs by politicians, but her book caught my interest as soon as I learned about it, when President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed her.

  The journalists often report Trump’s latest comments without even questioning his mental fitness to become president, and they don’t bother to write about Kamala’s work and accomplishments. They don't seem to be interested in shining a light on what Kamala Harris stands for: truth, integrity, hard work and responsibility.

    Why don’t they take the time to read her book and write about it?  

     My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration is doing the work that journalists should be doing.

    Kamala Harris’s writing style is pleasant and engaging. I appreciate how well she researched every topic she included. I feel thankful and proud of the fact that she is the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.

  The Truths We Hold is not only an excellent resource to learn about Kamala Harris’s work and perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges; it is also about several issues of interest to Americans and how she worked consistently to address them.

   Kamala Harris has always worked for the people and with the people. Throughout her career, she stood up to rapists, violent criminals, and fraudsters. She did so with intelligence and deep compassion for the victims of violent crimes.

  I will write a list of her undertakings and endeavors to communicate how she has made a difference in the lives of so many people. I hope my post will help to quell the forces of prejudices, biases, lies and insults that are promoted by her hateful opponents.

   Kamala Harris worked hard to protect vulnerable youth from being sexually exploited. When she took a job as a city attorney in California for two years, she co-founded a task force to study the issues of sexually exploited youth. Together with her team, she led the fight “to disrupt the network of brothels masquerading as massage parlors, where so many people were being sexually exploited.” They asked the board of supervisors to direct law enforcement to investigate them as one of their top priorities. As a result of this, her recommendations were adopted and funded. Law enforcement shut down nearly three dozen brothels in the city.

   Her task force established a safe house for sexually exploited youth. It was a kind of sanctuary that offered substance abuse rehabilitation and mental health treatment as well as the resources needed to get back to school. She was actively engaged in the process to get the funding needed and to rescue at-risk youth. This experience was empowering and enlightening to Kamala. She describes it as “the realization that turned my sights to elected office.”

   The foreclosure crisis triggered under the Republican presidency of George Bush was a time period in which she worked hard as an attorney to advocate for the people who were scammed by the banks. She did her part to make banks accountable, reaching settlements that helped the people. However, she reveals the limitations of such settlements due to the social and financial impact of the foreclosure crisis on working families. On the other hand, the Trump administration rolled back regulations that were put in place after the foreclosure crisis to protect the people from the abuse of banks.

  It is crucial to be aware of how history shapes the present to understand that elections matter and the book plays a role in making this clear. “Tomorrow’s generations will suffer as a result of yesterday’s folly and greed. We cannot change what has already happened. But we can make sure it never happens again.” 

    Kamala Harris has always worked to reduce the cost of prescription drugs against the lobby of the big pharmaceutical companies. For details on this, I encourage you to read her book. Trump did just the opposite. Trump tried to make the Affordable Care Act implode during his presidency without offering any suitable alternative. During the years of his administration, he did nothing to address healthcare but appointed somebody who followed the interests of Big Pharma. His promise to reduce the cost of prescription drugs was never fulfilled.

   The Trump administration did not offer an appropriate response to the opioid crisis either. While it declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, the fund they used to deal with it was less than one dollar for each person who died of a drug overdose, and “If Republicans had succeeded in repealing the Affordable Care Act, they would have taken addiction treatment coverage away from three million Americans.”

  As an attorney general, Kamala Harris made the fight against opioids one of her highest priorities:

  “We took down a large-scale transnational drug-trafficking organization in 2011 while sponsoring legislation to make it more difficult to print fraudulent prescription pads. We went after pill mills and shut down so-called recovery centers that were overprescribing, leading to patient deaths. When funding to my department’s drug monitoring program was cut, we fought tooth and nail until I got the budget restored. The system allowed prescribers and pharmacists to quickly access a patient’s prescription history and make sure the patient wasn’t seeking the same painkillers from different doctors simultaneously. We went after criminals who were selling opioids on Craiglist and filed a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company inflating prices for opioid addiction treatment.”

    You can learn more about this topic by reading The Truths We Hold.

     Kamala reveals the details of her work throughout her career and integrates this information with memories about her childhood, upbringing and family, delving into her motivations, ethical principles and goals.

  It was interesting to read how she had to navigate the healthcare system when she had to face her mother’s diagnosis of colon cancer, and how they coped with the management of the disease. Her account is forthright and truthful. It was heartbreaking to read about the loss of her mother, Shyamala Harris, who was an exceptional role model to Kamala.

  Reading Kamala Harris’s book was also an emotional experience of connection and understanding. It is touching to learn about her mother’s life story and how she influenced Kamala:

 “My mother was raising us to believe that ‘It’s too hard’ was never an acceptable excuse; that being a good person meant standing for something larger than yourself; that success is measured in part by what you help others achieve and accomplish. She would tell us, ‘Fight systems in a way that causes them to be fairer, and don’t be limited by what has always been.’”

  As an attorney general Kamala Harris advocated for college students who had been conned by the now-defunct Corinthian College. Kamala Harris said, “They targeted people who they assumed wouldn’t fight back. They targeted people who they assumed no one would be there to fight for. And they were wrong.” They targeted veterans, single mothers and single fathers. They took advantage of people below the poverty line who had suffered the effects of the Great Recession, people who believed in the power of education... The judge agreed with Kamala Harris and the now-defunct company had to pay more than one billion dollars in restitution and penalties.

  This post is about Kamala Harris’s book, but I feel compelled to highlight the contrast between Kamala Harris and her opponent, because Donald Trump did just the opposite. Donald Trump duped college students through his now-defunct Trump University. You can learn the details here:

   Donald Trump brags about being the right person to handle the economy, but the truth is that at the end of his administration he left the economy in shambles. Also, murders and violent crimes increased during the last year of the Trump administration. Thankfully, during Biden’s presidency the rate of violent crimes went down according to the data recorded by the FBI.

  Trump claims to care about security. This is laughable. Trump is responsible for the release of 5,000 Taliban terrorists from prison. Trump makes the world more dangerous. (Facts are not propaganda. I am aware of the fact that his followers label facts as "propaganda.") Why?

  Trump claims to be concerned about inflation in America. Inflation has been an issue across the world over the last few years. However, to tackle the roots of inflation it is important to acknowledge climate change and to address it. We cannot afford four more years of a Trump administration rolling back environmental regulations that will worsen climate change and inflation across the world. If you don’t understand the connection between the two, feel free to check the supplementary links at the bottom of this post.

   The Trump administration rolled back over seventy regulations that are related to climate change and the protection of the quality of water and air.  We are still dealing with the consequences of his lack of foresight and understanding. 

   It is imperative to continue working to lower greenhouse emissions. Trump denies the need to do so. It is convenient for him to ignore the matter altogether because he receives financial contributions for his political campaign from the fossil fuel industry, which has denied the existence of climate change for many years in the same way that the tobacco industry denied the effects of tobacco on human health. In other words, Trump wants to serve himself at the expense of human health and the economy. The wellbeing of his country is not his priority. He said he would be a dictator on day one. He has also told his supporters that they will not need to vote again afer the 2024 election.

   Trump and his supporters claim to be pro-life, but they fail to understand that climate change is killing people every day, so there is nothing pro-life about denying the need to address the climate crisis. There is nothing pro-life about ravaging the environment to satisfy corporate greed.

  Fostering the development and infrastructure of clean energy under Biden’s Presidency has created and will continue to create millions of jobs. It is up to the people to embrace these opportunities. The Biden’s administration also created a plan that is not only creating new jobs in the clean energy field, but it is also raising the wages in the clean energy field. What is not to like about that?

  It is also necessary to remember that when we support regulations that curb climate change, we protect the quality of water, air and soil. Again, what is not to like about that? A clean environment will help decrease the cost of healthcare, because of the cost of pollution and its impact on human health.

   Kamala Harris addresses climate change in her book and the multiple dimensions that the challenge encompasses. Her research is thorough and relevant to what is happening today. She shares statistics, facts, experiences and the work she’s done. Environmental regulations are crucial to human health.

    Paying attention to the statistics and research, however, was not enough for Kamala Harris when she had to support the people of Mira Loma, California. She traveled to the area, listened to the people and  did not let them down.

 The quiet rural community was swallowed up by an industrial warehousing district. The air turned toxic. Every day trucks made more than 15,000 trips on Mira Loma’s main roads, bringing with them soot and other particulate matter. Soon Mira Loma had one of the highest rates of diesel pollution in the state—well beyond state and federal air quality standards. The county failed to respond to standards that would protect the community, even though people did their best to be heard. The community was ignored and the situation would worsen with the plan to bring in more trucks to the area.

  How did this impact peoples’ lives?  Due to the filthy air, it was not safe for children to play outside. The trees in their backyard stopped bearing fruits and were dying. The people in the community were suffering from high rates of cancer, asthma and heart disease. Kamala Harris spent time with the people to understand what they were going through. With tears in his eyes, one father told her about the loss of his fourteenth-year-old daughter to lung cancer.

   In Kamala’s words, “To really understand the pain that a community is coping with, it’s not enough to imagine what it must be like. Smart policies cannot be created in an ivory tower, and arguments aren’t won by facts alone. What matters just as much is being there whenever possible, in person, ears and eyes wide open, talking to the folks living closest to the challenge. It mattered that we were there to hear this anguished father’s story and the stories of other families in Mira Loma.

  “It mattered when I visited soldiers in Iraq who were waiting for their next mission, and sailors in San Diego, preparing to deploy for months on a nuclear submarine. It is one thing to talk about the needs of the military and intelligence communities in a Senate hearing room. It is another to go to the scene and make real, in-person connections with the men and women who are serving.”

   There is a chapter entitled Smart on Security that I strongly recommend. I was impressed by how much Kamala Harris did for the safety and security of the United States of America when she was a Senator. She was an active member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and has knowledge and experience in dealing with issues of security; she makes it clear that her goal is to foster and support innovation in technology to protect the United States of America.

   The Biden-Harris team has always worked to support America’s democracy in every way... On the other hand, what did Trump do? He promoted falsehoods about the 2020 election, incited violence and tried to block the peaceful transfer of power. And what did he do to Mike Pence? You can read about it here. Pence even stated that he was concerned over his family’s safety on January 6, 2021 because of Donald Trump.

  If the people of his own party cannot trust Donald Trump, how can anybody trust him to become President of our country?

  Trump promotes divisiveness and hate in America. His poor decision making continues to have consequences today on many levels.

  It is disconcerting that Donald Trump selected judges for the Supreme Court who have no interest in protecting environmental legislation and the safety and health of human beings. In fact, their decisions prove just the opposite. We are in a very fragile situation as a result of Trump’s poor decisions and choices, but there is hope. We can’t afford apathy and negligence. We have to vote because our life depends on it; the health of our democracy is at stake.

   There is no doubt in my mind that honest Republicans will agree that we need to stand united to protect democratic principles, and that Kamala Harris is the right candidate to represent the values that matter: respect for the rule of law, social responsibility, and democratic principles.

  My Writing Life blog endorses Kamala Harris for president. I will vote for her, and I encourage every American reader of My Writing Life Blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration, to read her book. Her enthusiasm and energy can transcend the boundaries of America. The Truths We Hold is an invigorating, edifying read that will inspire people across the world.

 

 

Supplementary links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/03/21/climate-change-is-worsening-inflation-and-pushing-food-prices-even-higher-researchers-warn/

 

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-is-the-trump-administrations-track-record-on-the-environment/

 

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/01/31/climate-change-is-killing-millions-an-expert-explains-why-many-deaths-go-unnoticed

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/13/g-s1-9360/judiciary-election-climate-change-environment-supreme-court

 https://apnews.com/article/pence-trump-january-6-capitol-riot-carlson-1e38cb44d55737031ca528b4f33aa1fb

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/03/17/trump-hitler-north-korea-dictator-hungray-prime-minister/72975742007/

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/trump-rally-nato/677426/

 

 https://www.nbcnews.com/business/energy/inflation-reduction-act-sparked-manufacturing-clean-energy-boom-rcna167315

 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-justice-ketanji-brown-jackson-trump-immunity-ruling/

Babylon's Ark by Lawrence Anthony

 

   Lawrence Anthony’s inner calling launched his efforts to travel to a war zone to rescue the animals in the city of Baghdad in the year 2003. Those animals were deprived of food and water under temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Baghdad city was under siege; Saddam Hussein had been overthrown.

    Lawrence Anthony, author of The Elephant Whisperer, was determined to help the animals of the Baghdad Zoo, even though he had no clue on how he would proceed to accomplish his goal.

   Lawrence feared the worst, and his concerns were confirmed when he managed to reach the animals. He was able to witness how animals who had nothing to do with the human conflict and had no understanding of the political situation were neglected, attacked and abused in multiple ways. It was disturbing to read about imprisoned animals who had no way of defending themselves while they battled hunger and thirst amid the bombings. People vandalized the zoo. It was sad  to read that some of them even shot the animals for fun.

  Lawrence witnessed their trauma, and he was determined to rescue them. Babylon’s Ark is an engrossing account on how he was able to care for these animals against all odds. Initially, Lawrence Anthony had no connections or formal support from organizations. He was just a man with a clear purpose. Eventually, he was able to inspire others to support his mission and share his goal of saving the animals in Baghdad.

   Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator whose cruelty to human beings was also directed at the animals. Saddam and his son Uday had neglected, abused and abandoned several wild animals and dogs. They had been involved in the trafficking of wild animals, and Lawrence was able to find and rescue them under the most dangerous circumstances.

   I was in awe to read what he managed to accomplish despite the hopelessness of the situation. I was speechless to learn about the rescue of lions and dogs inside a cage in Uday’s palace. There were two cubs and three adult lions along with two emaciated dogs inside the same cage. Lawrence was shocked because the pride of lions had not devoured the dogs despite the fact that they had all been starving.

 “There was no explanation why the starving lions had not already killed and eaten the dogs. We guessed it was because the animals had huddled together through so much terror during the bombing raids that they had bonded in a way only nature could fathom, forging some mystical affinity that transcended the torment of hunger. Indeed, even in their sapped state, the two dogs were nuzzling and cuddling the cubs—testimony that nature is not always red in tooth and claw.”

   Babylon’s Ark is about finding common ground with others to develop solutions that align with kindness and ethical principles. Putting aside their differences, soldiers, conservationists and civilians came together to rescue the wild animals. However, this did not happen by chance. Lawrence had to work hard to convince people and garner their support and approval. I admire the ways in which he interacted with those around him to gain their respect and understanding. His book is an inspiration and a testament to his resilience and courage. His messages deserve to be shared across the world.  

  Lawrence Anthony risked his life to attain his goal. It was an adventure full of roadblocks and hazards, but the unsettling frustrations, setbacks and conflicts he had to contend with did not deter him. Being in a combat zone was not easy, but, thankfully, Lawrence survived the plight and wrote this fascinating book whose narrative will captivate your heart.

  Perhaps his quest for empathy and compassion will not be forgotten, and it may help people to understand that we need to come together to care for our home. Mother Earth needs our cooperation to support the ecosystems that make our life possible on the planet.

  Another important aspect of the book is the fact that it helps us to see how unfair and terrifying it is to live under the abuse of power of a dictator. I think the book plays an important role in explaining the dangers dictators pose to the livelihoods of its citizens.

  Last but not least, Lawrence Anthony’s musings and reflections at the end have the potential to summon people to do what is best for their communities, democracies and the planet. His statements are based on facts. Lawrence’s thoughts are as relevant today as they were when he wrote the book:

 “In our ruthless quest for technology, material wealth and scientific progress, the humanities have been sorely neglected. And, as most of us are almost completely ignorant of the character and function of other forms of life, we abuse the natural world and diminish once robust survival systems without any real understanding of the consequences—especially for our own continued existence. Why do we inflict harm on the only home we have? Most people intrinsically have empathy with nature. Everybody I speak to is against cruelty to animals; everybody wants fresh air, open spaces, unpolluted rivers, and a healthy livable planet. So why do we so dreadfully abuse our sole life-support system?”

 “As living organisms, we are all part of the greater whole, and as such, we are embodied with exactly the same fundamental purpose: to survive. And to do so—as individuals, families, groups, and as a species—we have to live in dynamic collaboration with the plant and animal kingdoms in a healthy, life-sustaining environment.”

  The experience of reading Babylon’s Ark was so immersive that I had vivid dreams at night related to the setting and situations he encountered. Read Babylon’s Ark and share it with others.

 

Feel free to read my posts on the following books:

What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories and Personalities of Bees, by Stephen Buchmann

Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer Holland

Volcanic Adventures in Tonga by Ann Goth

Sweet inTooth and Claw by Kristin Ohlson

 

 

 The photo of the lion is by Luke Tanis. Source: unsplash.com

 Here’s a conversation with Lawrence Anthony about his experiences in Baghdad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46fQBDfYAJo

 

 

Victory City by Salman Rushdie

 

“The poisoner usually ends up drinking the poison himself. Just something for you to think about.” A quote from Victory City, a novel by Salman Rushdie.

   I think this novel will become a literary classic. I am thankful for this masterpiece nourished by the study of history and myth, molded by the artistry and prowess of an author with insightful perspectives. Rushdie’s imagination and inventiveness stretch beyond the limits of history, gifting us a novel whose originality is something I cannot  compare with anything I’ve read before.

 It is not only its literary beauty what makes it sublime and original. The novel illuminates every aspect of human nature and evinces how the strengths and flaws of it shape the fate of societies and human lives. I think these forces will also determine the destiny of humanity and life on earth, so this book is expansive in its nature. It is a wellspring of allegories that mirror the conflicts and challenges of our modern societies. It is a reminder of how the destructive forces of human nature—greed, envy, rage, lust-- have the potential to lead to our self-destruction if they are left unchecked.

  On the last day of her long life, poetess and prophetess Pampa Kampana completed her immense poem about the story of Victory City in Sanskrit, then buried it in a clay pot sealed with wax. The story and all its secrets were unearthed four and a half centuries later. It is retold in plainer language by the narrator, who is “neither a scholar nor a poet but merely a spinner of yarns, and who offers this version for the simple entertainment and possible edification of today’s readers, the old and the young, the educated and the not so educated, those in search of wisdom and those amused by folly, northerners and southerners, followers of different gods and of no gods, the broad-minded and the narrow-minded, men and women and members of the genders beyond and in between, scions of the nobility and rank commoners, good people and rogues, charlatans and foreigners, humble sages and egotistical fools.”

  The best and the worst features of humanity bubble up on the pages of Victory City. Pampa Kampana was a little girl when she witnessed the burning of the women of a defeated kingdom. Most of them were widows. Her mother also surrendered her life to the flames.

“Gravely, without making any complaint, they said farewell to one another and walked forward without flinching. Nor were there any screams when their flesh caught fire and the stink of death filled the air.”

  Pampa Kampana felt the universe was sending her a message. She would turn her face toward life instead. “She would not sacrifice her body merely to follow dead men into the afterworld. She would refuse to die young and live, instead, to be impossibly, defiantly old. It was at this point that she received the celestial blessing that would change everything…”

 Pampa Kampana was endowed with special talents and gifts. The goddess within her spoke to her.

“You will fight to make sure that no more women are ever burned in this fashion, and that men start considering women in new ways, and you will live just long enough to witness both your success and your failure, to see it all and tell its story, even though once you have finished telling it you will die immediately and nobody will remember you for four hundred and fifty years.” Pampa Kampana would strive to give women equal agency in a patriarchal world.

 Pampa Kampana lived for 247 years and here’s her story: an enchanting novel of love, adventure and politics. How did Salman Rushdie manage to offer a surprise on every page? How did he create such a masterpiece? It is hard to describe the wisdom and grace that unfold through this magical story, so embark on the enigmatic journey and explore the messages it conveys.

   When Salman Rushdie received the Freedom to Publish Award last year, he urged people to stand up to intolerance and support the freedom to read. Let’s reflect for a moment on the freedom to read the books we choose. Let’s remind readers of their right to read.

  The freedom to read books in the United States of America is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Have you ever paused to meditate on what it means to ban books? The act of banning books curtails the rights of both readers and writers. The act of banning or restricting books also implies that it is acceptable to silence a group of people, to violate their right to free expression. It makes no sense in a democracy. It is a violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. If there are people out there who do not like a specific book, they can use their freedom to read it and express their views on it, but they do not have the right to ban it.

   There is a political party in America that follows the playbook of Vladimir Putin. Let’s be clear here. The choice to read or not to read a book is personal, and nobody should be forcing others to make that choice. The people who advocate for book bans claim that they want to make decisions on what their children can read. This is not true. What they want is to impose their own censorship on other families. If they do not want their children to have access to a book, they should have a conversation with their own children, but they should have no authority over other children’s choices. Claiming to support freedom while supporting the act of banning or restricting books in public libraries indicates an Orwellian pattern of behavior. It is the clear sign of a fascist ideology. This is wrong on many levels, but, first and foremost, it is a violation of the First Amendment.

  My Writing Life blog supports democratic principles, promotes the freedom to read books and stands against hate.

 

 

Supplementary links:

https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-anti-lgbtq-campaign-echoes-putin-playbook-experts-1806093

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240430-russia-s-book-police-anti-gay-law-opens-ugly-new-chapter

 

 https://apnews.com/article/salman-rushdie-public-appearance-freedom-of-speech-02d429629e1daee57a49b53995ef71c5

https://pen.org/report/book-bans-pressure-to-censor/

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/kids-action/articles/we-support-the-freedom-to-read

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-book-burnings-recurring-symbol

 

https://www.salon.com/2023/12/27/congressman-traveled-to-uganda-to-support-anti-lgbtq-penalty-law_partner/

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-01-10/capitol-insurrection-iran-hostage-crisis

 

Birding to Change the World by Trish O'Kane

 

 Trish O’Kane did not know that her excitement for her new teaching job at the University of Loyola in New Orleans would dissolve into an unexpected life-transforming tragedy: she and her partner lost their new home to hurricane Katrina a few weeks after moving there. 

  As a journalist and writer Trish O’Kane had risked her life working in Guatemala, investigating massacres perpetrated by the Guatemalan military. On several occasions she’d had to run to save her own life. She had also worked in Alabama as an advocate for human rights and social justice and had taught writing in a women’s prison. Driven by her passionate nature to teach journalism and writing at Loyola University, she moved to New Orleans. What she did not know after losing her home to Hurricane Katrina was that her grief would awaken her to a new kind of awareness. Trish fell in love with birds, and the birds taught her how the environment is deeply intertwined with matters of social justice. The birds became her teachers, and her new appreciation for birds led her to search a new path in her career. 

  It is important to remember that 1,390 people lost their lives as a result of this devastating hurricane. Before it happened, however, people did not believe how destructive it would be. Yet the birds had given their warning. 

 “In retrospect, I’ve realized that one thing was different that day. The birds. They were so loud. Birds are usually quieter at noon. But that day there was a cacophony, especially of gulls, whirling and shrieking.

“Seventeen years after I stood on that levee, scientists know there are certain signals that fire up an avian news network (ANN), particularly changes in atmospheric pressure.”

  Infrasound is another signal that triggers an avian news network. The low-frequency ground-transmitted waves produced by volcanoes, earthquakes, waterfalls, storm systems, and tsunamis. Many birds can hear it.

 How can I describe this spellbinding book? When I fall in love with a book I am speechless at first, but then my words flow gently, like a symphony of birds merging with the harmony of a waterfall on an exquisite morning filled with the sweet scents of pine trees and flowers.

 I feel so thankful for this unique read. Birding to Change the World shows how enthusiasm and passion can create ripples of positive changes that have the potential to expand beyond the borders of a park and a city as long as one cares to pay attention. Birding to Change the World is about the inspiring power of community. It shows how people can come together when they genuinely care about something and are committed to work through their disagreements.

  Trish's book is about human beings enduring personal tragedies and finding healing in Nature. It is about cooperation and connections that enable people of all ages to discover the talents in themselves and in Nature. It is about the transforming power of communication and about seeking ways of creating constructive solutions to grow, learn and thrive together.

 Once I started reading Trish’s book I could not put it down. I learned about it from a book blog, and I requested it from my amazing local library because I knew I had to read it. My intuition was correct. Birding to Change the World made my heart sing, dance and soar.

  When Trish O’ Kane moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue an environmental studies PhD, Warner Park became her haven. The park teems with wildlife and Trish played a unique role in supporting the community of people and animals in their journey of discoveries. The experience became an adventure that led to unforgettable undertakings and actions to protect that haven. Trish’s zest to understand and protect Warner Park created an opportunity that drew people of different backgrounds together to protect the trees, the wetlands and wildlife, and, in saving the Warner Park, people saved themselves.

  As birds cross human borders, they remind us that we all live in the same planet. I was mesmerized to learn that cliff swallows migrate from Warner Park to places in Argentina and Brazil, and then they return to Warner Park the following spring. One cliff swallow eats up to one thousand mosquitoes per day.

Warner Park is also “a major feeding station for migrating birds passing through, birds coming from much farther north heading south in the fall and passing through again in the spring.”

Bird migration is not an easy endeavor. Fifty percent of the birds die during their migration.

 “Long-distance migratory birds coming through Warner Park may have been making this epic journey from Latin America to the United States and Canada for at least 10,000 years. But in the last century, our species has turned their flight routes into death-defying obstacle courses. Ornithologists have known for decades that strong lights can confuse birds’ navigation systems. The lights of buildings and cell towers lure them to their deaths either by collision or exhaustion, since they circle around the lights for hours until they drop.” I wrote about this issue when I reviewed the book The Darkness Manifesto, so feel free to read my post.

 Massive die-offs happen across the United States and Canada when skyscrapers and buildings are lit up throughout the night. “According to NYC Audubon, collisions with lighted buildings (especially with windows) kill at least 600 million birds a year in the United States of America; 230,000 of those happen in New York city.”

 

 Trish O’Kane examines the healing power of birds and nature by exploring current research and by sharing the amazing life stories of people. According to Daniel Cox, a lead researcher, “Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happy places to live. This is why English hospitals and clinics now partner with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to offer bird walks to recovering patients.”

 Today we celebrate the Fourth of July, so Happy Independence Day to my readers in America. As I brace myself to protect my furry friends from the unpleasant sounds of fireworks, I take this opportunity to inspire my readers to celebrate in ways that align with life instead of death. Fireworks may have been a tradition for a long time, but as the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson has taught us, following traditions blindly can be a selfish, cruel action. I can do my best to protect my furry friends, but I cannot do anything for wildlife. I cannot stop the panic of the veterans who suffer from PTSD. The noises of fireworks can trigger terrifying emotions. 

 I prefer to celebrate the Fourth of July by honoring the life that surrounds me. ( I’ve never welcomed or appreciated the destructive power of fireworks).

 There is a whole chapter about fireworks in Birding to Change the World, and I want to share some important pieces of information here:

 “A 2015 study of 133 firework shows and 88 avian species, primarily in Germany and the United States, determined that birds do not adapt to fireworks. Some birds abandon nesting areas. Some species suffer significant physical stress and even die of fright. Many species panic and flee. Young birds that have not learned to fly become easy prey, have accidents or get lost completely. Fireworks increase the risk of mortality for individual birds, and, thus, the death rate of the bird population.”

 The use of fireworks also produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which pollute the air and worsen climate change. Fireworks pollute the environment with microplastics and various heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and barium in addition to toxic chemicals like perchlorate, which is found in both munitions and fireworks. These toxic chemicals and heavy metals persist in the environment, affecting human health and harming wildlife. Who wants our drinking water, air and soil to be polluted with these toxic chemicals? I am sure you will agree with me that it is wiser to choose patriotic forms of entertainment to support our community and country.

 Perchlorate, for example, damages the brain of babies even before they are born. Under the Trump administration, the regulation to limit the levels of perchlorate in drinking water was rolled back. Thankfully, the regulation was put back in place in May, 2023 under Joe Biden’s presidency.

 Being patriotic also means being well informed and making good decisions to support one’s health and the health of one’s community. Hopefully, My Writing Life blog has inspired you to do that.

  Happy Reading!

 

 Here's an important article on the ways climate change affects the quality of our drinking water, and about the need to address this critical issue:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/climate-change-can-worsen-your-drinking-water-quality-the-checkup.php

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

 

“There were many moments during the writing of this book when I thought that elephants may be even more evolved than humans—when I studied their grieving habits, and their mothering skills, and their memories. If you take away anything from this novel, I hope it is an awareness of the cognitive and emotional intelligence of these beautiful animals—and the understanding that it is up to us to protect them.”-Jodi Picoult

 Out of the four books I’ve read by Jodi Picoult, Leaving Time is my favorite. If you love a good mystery and are eager to explore the emotional and cognitive intelligence of elephants and understand the unique individuals they are, you will appreciate this novel.

 Leaving Time is the most suspenseful book I’ve read this year. Connecting with the realities of the elephants is a compelling aspect of the book, and I have to admit that the immoral choices of many of the human characters make the read somewhat annoying.

 It is impossible to imagine the ending of the story. There is no way to guess, but I embrace the layer of mysticism it presents. It is hard not to shed a few tears at the end. I think it is a bit odd that the readers are not warned about the fact that this novel has a touch of magical realism.

 Leaving Time is about the timelessness of love between a mother and her child. It makes you reflect on the precious bond that transcends time and space and how that love connects to our present. It made me think of the moments in which I dreamed of a loved one who had passed away. Yet the energy that connects me to that person lives on in thoughts and actions of strength and hope in ways that escape the realm of words.

  There is something I did not like. The perpetrators of the two acts of violence made me uncomfortable because I did not find them credible. Yet I know it can happen in extremely rare cases… The revelation was to me the monster of social misogyny poking its ugly head into the reader’s mind and a product of the author’s unconscious bias... I will not elaborate further on this. (Jodi, will you ever give mothers a break?).

 Alice Metcalf is Jenna's mother. She is an elephant researcher who left behind a journal with several entries about her personal life and her observations of elephants. Jenna wonders why Alice left her behind. Is Alice dead or alive?

  Be prepared to be taken on an adventure into the world of troubled human characters, and learn about the emotional lives of elephants, both in the wild and on a sanctuary. You will learn about empathy, grief, family bonds and so much more. The novel is informative and thought-provoking. Have you ever thought about empathy and what it implies? Here’s an interesting passage from page 134:

“When I was in Pilanesburg, I watched an elephant come across a rhino calf that was stuck in the mud of a watering hole. The rhinos were distressed, and that in turn upset the elephant, which stood around trumpeting and rumbling. Somehow, she managed to convince the rhinos that she had practice doing this, and to just get out of the way and let her take over. Now, in the great ecological sphere of things, it was not beneficial to the elephant to rescue a rhino baby. And yet she went in and lifted the baby with her trunk, even though the rhino mother charged her each time she tried. She risked her own life for the offspring of another species. Likewise, in Botswana, I saw a matriarch come upon a lioness that was stretched out beside an elephant path while her cubs played in the middle of it. Normally, if an elephant sees a lion it will charge—it recognizes the animal as a threat. But this matriarch waited very patiently for the lioness to collect her cubs and move away. True, the cubs were no threat to the elephant, but one day they would be. Right then, however, they were just someone’s babies.”

 Leaving Time is a riveting read with intriguing characters. My favorite human character is Serenity, a “psychic” who befriends Jenna, a thirteen-year-old teenager in her quest to find her mother, who disappeared ten years ago. Then there is Virgil, an alcoholic retired detective who is determined to help Jenna find her mother. The trio captivated me from the beginning… and I liked the elephants.

 The story of these humans is fiction but the ones about the elephants are as real as their plight. There are many forces decimating the population of these compassionate, intelligent beings. Elephants die in the hands of poachers. There is a criminal network responsible for poaching African elephants to benefit from the trade of ivory. The network smuggles ivory from Africa to China. A wealthy middle class in China fuels the demand for ivory products. Corruption in Africa is part of the puzzle that enables the slaughter and trafficking of ivory. Trafficking of ivory is also used to fund terrorism.

  Before the publication of Jodi Picoult’s book forty-one elephants were killed in Zimbabwe because their water hole was poisoned with cyanide. The purpose was to obtain ivory to profit from it, so don’t purchase ivory or anything made of ivory.

  The illegal trafficking of ivory is still happening. This report was published last week by Homeland Security Investigations.

 The slaughter and abduction of elephants lead to trauma, disruption of complex relationships and aggressive elephant behavior in the wild. Elephants are captured for elephant-back safaris, zoos and circuses, where they endure brutal, cruel treatment and endless suffering. In circuses elephants are forced to perform tricks through deprivation of food, water and rest, and by physical restraint, pain and fear. Max Brandett, a former circus worker reveals the details of the horrifying treatment of animals in circuses, so I encourage you to read his report. The elephants are even chained in cages. You can read it from the link I offer. I will not share the information here because it is traumatizing to even write about it. 

 It is disgusting to learn how cruel humans are to these amazing animals. Please, avoid supporting circuses and do everything you can to help stop this cruelty from taking place by educating others on the issue. Avoid paying for elephant-back safaris and make sure that zoos provide the right conditions for elephants and that they don’t capture any more elephants from the wild. In captivity elephants live a life of misery.

 Last but not least, climate change is affecting the survival of elephants in multiple ways. For example, climate change causes prolonged droughts in the African savanna. Also, older elephants are more prone to die as a result of extreme high temperatures, and the loss of the older elephants has a serious impact on the survival of the herds. Supporting regulations that address climate change is also necessary for human survival… and how can anybody oppose regulations that protect the quality of water and air? Let’s make it clear and concise: the regulations that help curb climate change also protect the quality of air and water, so what is not to like about that?

 Climate change also leads to water and food shortage, and the situation worsens the conflicts between humans and elephants and creates tensions that make humanity more prone to start wars and new conflicts. Peaceful coexistence requires a kind of holistic approach to the crisis. 

 There are various organizations working to give assistance to elephants. The elephant sanctuary in Tennessee, which inspired some of Jodi Picoult’s writing, has been helping rescued elephants by providing them with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and a setting that supports their health and wellbeing. The organization also supports elephants by educating the public. You can also visit the Global Sanctuary for Elephants website. This organization helps to establish elephant sanctuaries worldwide:

 www.globalelephants.org

 

You can learn more about elephants in the wild and the dangers they face by visiting the following sites:

www.elephantvoices.org

https://www.ifaw.org/journal/what-is-ivory

www.tusk.org

www.savethelephants.org

 Here's more information about the link between terrorism and the exploitation of wildlife:

https://editorials.voa.gov/a/stopping-terrorists-from-trafficking-in-natural-resources/6803286.html

I wrote about The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony a while ago. If you haven’t read it yet, feel free to check my post.

The photos of elephants are from unsplash.com: the second photo is by Mylon Ollila; the first photo is by Mathew Spiteri .