Literature and Poetry
Julia Sneden Reprise: Still Learning; Learning Differently
Julia Sneden Wrote: "I think about Leonardo da Vinci, whose mirror writing is well-known. Somehow, I doubt that whoever taught him to write said to him: “You are writing backward, stupid boy! Do it like this!” It’s quite possible that that teacher said something like: “Wow! That mirror writing is amazing! Show me how you do it.” What a foxy teacher that would have been! In helping young Leonardo to understand why others would have difficulty reading the backwards writing, he would lead the child to discover what needed to be changed so that others could read it. (Lest we grow too fond of my little fantasy, I should note that I believe that Leonardo was left handed, in which case he may have been writing from right to left simply so that his hand wouldn’t smear the ink, and cover what he’d just written. We’ll never know.)" more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Dandelion Landing
Ferida Wolff Writes: "It was a pleasant afternoon, sunny but not too hot. Just right for being out back on the patio reading a book. But then something took my attention away from what I was reading, a puffy seed flipping over my legs. I reached out for it but it slipped off my palm and hurried off. Then I noticed other seeds frolicking over the lawn, all determined to be on their way." more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Butterfly on a Sunflower; A Popular Choice of the English Subjects Placing Tributes to Queen Elizabeth
Ferida Wolff writes: "Taking a walk in a local nature center on a hot day. It was pleasant walking along the dirt paths in the cool shade of the trees on another 90-degree day. Each step brought something else to observe. The birds were out in numbers, chirping and flitting from tree to tree...There were still some flowers blooming which added color to the scene... Natalie Prince, a Windsor florist, said she had sold 8,000 sunflowers by Saturday afternoon. “She was a ray of sunshine to so many people,” said Ms. Prince, 35. “She was our sort of ray of hope.”
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Jo Freeman Reviews No Escape: The True Story of China's Genocide Against the Uyghurs
Jo Freeman Writes: The longest chapter is “The War On Uyghur Women”. Many women shared their personal stories with Turkel after they got out of the country. They told him of nightly raids for Korans and prayer rugs, “unlawful” children, or homes with more than two small knives. To keep the population down “women were forced to submit to gynecological exams, enforced contraception and abortions.” Those put into prison had their heads shaved and their long, black hair sold abroad. more »