tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261941922024-03-07T21:37:49.226-05:00Spirituality, philosophy And religion In Literature for young people Stories are ships on which we SAIL oceans of compassion
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-56977933604632834362021-01-01T13:28:00.002-05:002021-01-01T13:28:50.375-05:00Poem for the New Year<p> If you're reading this, healthy 2021 wishes. These days, my more frequently updated blog is the one associated with my website, www.padmavenkatraman.com. </p><p>But as I've done before on this site, I wanted to record and copyright my words - as people have in the past appropriated something I said that they liked and used it as if it were their own words.</p><p>The week of X'mas I was at a funeral. After that I was spending a few quiet days with my family, off social media, pretty much. Then I was forced to return to a situation that wasn't pretty. I was misquoted and my words were twisted and I had to waste time deleting hate mail. It wasn't the way I wanted to spend the holiday, but you know what? </p><p>I realized it gave me an opportunity to put into practice my ideas on nonviolence and practice peace. So I made a video and sent a few messages on social media. And here's a short poem created from those posts - the sort of poem you might display on your car's bumper sticker. Maybe one day, I'll make my own T-shirt or bumper sticker with this poem - I rather like it, I admit.</p><p>Peace</p><p>Whether you wish me well or ill</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> I wish you well</span><br /></p><p>If you give me the finger</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> I give you two ✌</span><br /></p><p><span>© Padma Venkatraman</span></p><p><br /></p><p>What did I learn from all this? I may be forced to lock my social media, but no one can force me to lock my heart. LOL! </p><p>Hoping 2021 will be kinder to the world than 2020 was, </p><p>Padma Venkatraman</p>Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-11880341214840704752019-08-30T11:26:00.000-04:002019-08-30T11:26:37.804-04:00Reading the Dry Bones<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.97333335876465px;"> By Kelly McWilliams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.97333335876465px;">Reading the Dry Bones</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">In the book of Ezekiel, the great prophet dreams of a valley of dry bones.</span></div>
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Dry, very dry. Old skeletons near to dust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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God asks, “Son of man, can these bones live?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ezekiel knows they can’t. But when God orders him to prophesy to the bones, he does as he’s told. With a great rattling and shaking the bones connect one to another. In the valley, the breath of life comes into them. They rise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The valley of the dry bones is a metaphor for the people of Israel, who feel their faith has dried up, their hope perished. Their religion doesn’t serve them anymore. It isn’t enough. Times have changed and the old conceptions of God are dusty, useless. They have suffered enormously. In a very real way, their faith has died.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But the role of Ezekiel — of any prophet — is to breathe new life into old words. Doing so, he proves that faith isn’t a stolid, unchanging thing. It is constantly renewed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I wish I’d known this as a teenager, when I began to believe that Christianity was too riddled with misogyny and hate to be any kind of home. I wish I’d understood that the challenge of faith is separate from breath from dry bones, the living truth from the dust of tired old lies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, I didn’t know. I sheltered in art and books (all secular), telling myself I didn’t need the faith I really craved. I wasn’t alone in this. Many of my peers in young adulthood and beyond found secular life less perilous than its alternative. Faith was conservatism, to us. Often homophobic, sexist, racist. We’d just gotten the internet and it was a brave new world. We were moving forwards. Why would we glance back at all that heaped, time-forgotten dust?<o:p></o:p></div>
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But a lack of faith can mean great loneliness. It is a painful compromise, to realize you don’t agree with what an ancient religion has come to stand for, the ways it has been twisted to oppressive ends. It took me many years to learn that you don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater, or the religion with its problematic expressions. In my 20s, a period of searching, seeking roots and stable ground. I looked to the past<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I am biracial. My black ancestors found Christianity at the same time they continued to practice, and keep alive, a spiritual voodoo. My great-grandmother had second sight, but she also loved her colorful church hats, the God of her friends and neighbors. If she found contradiction in this, she learned to embrace it. To enjoy community, however imperfect, and to tweak and select snatches of faith to sew into one shimmering whole cloth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">What I wish I’d known as a teenager is this: we don’t have to accept the dry bones, because we all possess the breath of life. We are the makers of our faith, and faith itself exists to be reinterpreted, resurrected, and reformed. In that way, it’s like any old story. It is fashioned of enduring archetypes — another kind of skeleton — so that it can be revived, again and again, in new incarnations</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I recently completed a young adult book, called Agnes at the End of the World (coming out in Summer 2020), about a girl struggling to find and nurture the seed of truth she has always sensed exists inside her oppressive faith. The fundamentalist cult in which she was raised is a crystallization, for me, of all that is hateful about historical Christian practices: crushing misogyny, and a doctrine of rigid, self-righteous exclusion. And yet — and yet! — she has the Bible to read, and a mind of her own with which to interpret it. She will rescue the loving God that calls to her, and leave the rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Her journey represents a spiritual rite of passage I don’t often see reflected in young adult literature. Yet teenagers naturally grow up to find fault with the systems that have raised them. Yes, there are hateful aspects in any religion, but that doesn’t mean the only answer is to throw the whole thing out. You can find the beauty buried in dust, and bring it to life in whatever way makes life meaningful — and indeed, worthwhile — for you.</span></div>
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Writing about faith re-illuminated for me the beauty I’ve always craved from religion, and the complexities, too. But the truth is, I haven’t settled on a church for my family, which now contains two adults and one impressionable two-year old. We recently embarked on a church exploratory campaign, in which we attend a different house of worship every Sunday. (It helps that we live in Colorado Springs, where there is a church per block — no exaggeration.) We haven’t settled on one yet, but I remain hopeful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s the work of a lifetime, and I can’t wait to see how my daughter’s generation will reimagine the most ancient of stories. I like to think that one day soon we will see more congregations that entirely reject every trace of misogyny, racism, and homophobia — the very social ills that push away so many. I like to dream that in this way, faith comes roaring back to life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A note about Kelly McWilliams </div>
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by Padma Venkatraman </div>
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I first came across Kelly McWilliams's work when I was judging the mentoring contest for We Need Diverse Books. She was one of the wonderfully talented authors whose work I loved but whom I didn't end up mentoring officially, because I created a short list of 5 whose works I loved and then I picked the "winning" name out of a hat - they were all that good and I wanted to mentor them all. </div>
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I did end up writing to the other four to let them know how much I wanted to support them as well, in whatever way I could. One of the four I reached out to didn't bother to respond; the others were delighted I'd taken the time to write and let them know I was there for them (which wasn't expected of us, of course). Kelly was one of those talented others.</div>
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Since that time, we've stayed in touch, and it was my pleasure to write in support of a writing residency application for her a few years back. And now, I'm delighted to be able to showcase her essay. </div>
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Ending this summer of SAILing into unknown waters with the work of an up and coming author is, I think, most fitting. Because, after all, this summer I've been privileged to share the work of brilliant authors who have bravely shared their views on faith. And I have faith in Kelly, and I look forward to seeing her books on the shelf, someday soon. So here's to the future.<br />
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For those of your interested in this topic, I pitched a panel idea (vetted and submitted by Sarah Aronson who also identified a moderator, Aliza Werner) that NCTE accepted this fall - and I'll be speaking together with authors Sarah Aronson, Aisha Saeed, Christine Hepperman, Megan Atwood and Aliza Werner on this topic. The panel is Sat 23 Nov 2:45-4:00 p.m. Location 326 and it's called: <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13.33px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Sparking Thought without Starting an Inferno: Daring to Explore Potentially Explosive Questions of Faith, Spirituality, Religious Tradition, and Philosophical Diversity in Books
for Young People. </span></div>
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Or, if you'll be at AWP in Spring 2020, visit Ann Kordhal's panel on this topic. I'm hoping she and other participating on that panel will contribute next summer to this blog.<br />
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For now, thanks everyone for reading and supporting our voyage this summer. I hope to SAIL with you again next summer. And in the meantime, if you're part of the Global Read Aloud project and are reading THE BRIDGE HOME, or would just like to have more information on my work, please visit my author website: <a href="http://www.padmavenkatraman.com/">www.padmavenkatraman.com</a></div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-44503468927324528672019-08-18T03:22:00.001-04:002019-08-18T03:22:57.039-04:00God in a Carton of Eggs<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.97333335876465px;"> by </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">ABBEY NASH<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.97333335876465px;">God in a Carton of Eggs</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The Christianity I grew up with was a mixed bag of traditions, which invited curiosity and exploration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">While my father had been raised as a Southern Baptist preacher’s kid, the kind that didn’t believe in drinking, cursing, or dancing, and was himself an ordained Southern Baptist minister, my pre-adolescent years were spent on a non-denominational Christian commune in rural Georgia, where the dirt was almost as red as the strawberries we picked fresh from the communal fields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">This community, Koinonia, which means fellowship, is still active today, though the day-to-day experience of living there may be somewhat different than what I remember. When I wasn’t in school, I spent my days with my friends, visiting the farm animals, and on rare occasion, taking guided night walks through the woods in search of the mysterious luminescent mushrooms that grew there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Church at Koinonia was community ministers, torn songbooks, and barefoot toddlers playing in the grass. It was Sunday potlucks and sunrise service on Easter and square-dancing afterwards on the lawn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">My experience at Koinonia formed my foundational view of Christianity—that “church,” in the metaphorical sense of the word, means community between people and God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">When we left Koinonia, I found that “church” was housed in buildings and that there were rules about what you wore and how you behaved and what you believed. We lived in Mississippi then, and as a high school student, I found these rules to be similar to the unspoken rules that drew lines between my peers. Some kids were “in” and others were “out.” At the same time, religion seemed a synonym for hypocrisy. In the evangelical town in which we lived, the same teenagers who walked, tear-stricken, to the altar on Sunday morning to receive “Christ into their hearts” were planning the neighborhood keggers the following Saturday night. Religion seemed more about appearances and less about a way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">As an adult, I have a found a Christian religion which values charity and action rather than faith alone and believes in universal salvation. These are tenets which resonate deeply with my core belief system. This is the religion my husband was raised in, the one I’m choosing to raise my children in. However, even this religion has rules with which I can’t abide—rules made not by God but by man, rules that are about fear and exclusion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">I often hear people say that they are “spiritual” but not “religious.” There is cultural and religious pushback on this spreading sentiment, as though these “spiritual” people are somehow lazy or undisciplined because they are not aligning themselves with a specific religion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">On the contrary, I feel that religion is a manmade construct, as fallible as the stone and brick churches that house its weekly meetings. When people say that they are spiritual but not religious, they are resisting aligning themselves with some aspect of Christianity where man has gotten in the way and made rules that restrict their ability to be in community with God and with the people around them. Our egos tell us to exclude, so that we can protect our fragile belief systems. Love tells us there’s always room for one more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Over the last few years, I’ve faced several personal challenges. These challenges, which have included my younger brother’s addiction and my epilepsy, have required me to draw on a deep well of faith that I didn’t know I had—one that is supported not by the <i>rules</i>of my religion, but by its existence, as well as by the support communities in my life, and most importantly, by my personal relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Sometimes church is the small congregation I join with each Sunday to enjoy incredible music and learn about the ways I can apply the tenets of my religion to my everyday life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Sometimes church is Ala-Non, where I can speak freely about loving someone with addiction and learn tools that help me to accept what <i>is</i>so that I can let go of the chaos of trying to change my brother and my epilepsy diagnosis, choosing instead to focus on the love available in the present moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Sometimes church is my support group at the Eastern PA Epilepsy foundation, where my experiences are fully seen by people who are living them, too—where I am not someone with a disability, but someone living a full life of which epilepsy is only a small part. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Often church is writing—usually in my journal, a habit I started in second grade, when my grandmother put my very first journal in my hand, destining me on this path. Writing is truly my “lifeline.” With a pen in my hand, I can most clearly hear the “the still small voice of God,” lovingly guiding me through my greatest fears and my most difficult challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">These things—Ala-Non, my epilepsy support group, my writing—they are not separate from God, but of God. They allow me to be in communion with God and with the people that I believe God puts in my path to help me further grow into spiritual maturity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Recently, I was having a particularly challenging day. I couldn’t shake the “why me” narrative that we all struggle with from time to time. I was emotional—angry and resentful. My husband and I went for a walk, and over the course of the walk, I began to take in the beauty of my surroundings. The warmth of the sun, even in the winter, the blue sky. On the way home, we stopped by my brother-in-law’s house for a quick visit with my nieces. Their chubby pink cheeks and sweet giggles always put me in a good mood. By the time we got home, my anger had melted into gratitude for the preciousness of my life, despite its challenges, and I found myself in tears. I decided to make brunch, and when I opened the carton of eggs, I was surprised to read a quote printed on the inside of the carton: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">True Christianity doesn’t have to be perfect or look a certain way. In fact, it probably looks pretty lived in. It’s the ability to see God in the faces of the people around us, to be willing to be in communion with them, despite (or perhaps even because of) their differences, to be humble enough to serve those in need, and to be open-minded enough to learn and grow from these experiences as we have them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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B<span style="font-size: 11pt;">orn to parents with a serious case of “wanderlust,” Abbey Lee Nash has lived in some pretty interesting places, including on a Christian farming commune in rural Georgia, above a third-world craft store in Kentucky, and on a Salvation Army retreat center in the Pennsylvania mountains. She currently lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, two daughters, and one very rambunctious Australian Shepherd. She received her MA in English from Arcadia University in 2011, and currently works at Bryn Athyn College where she teaches writing and literature. She is also an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Lifeline is her first novel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Learn more about Abbey at </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://www.abbeynash.com/">https://www.abbeynash.com/</a> and connect with her on </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/abbeynashbooks/">https://www.facebook.com/abbeynashbooks/</a> and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Twitter: @nash_abbey.</span></div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-9247764014969356062019-08-11T12:19:00.000-04:002019-08-11T12:19:02.343-04:00What Are You?<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
by Veera Hiranandani</div>
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What Are You?<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a question I’ve received many times in the context of my religious identity. I think many children of interfaith marriages get asked this question. I also don’t consider myself a religious person in the traditional sense and, at first, I wasn’t even sure what to write about for this post. For someone, however, who doesn’t label themselves as religious, I spend an awful lot of time writing about my character’s religious identities. In fact, I think about religious identity all the time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Organized religion has always been a confusing area of my life. I was raised in a mostly secular home with a Hindu father who immigrated to the United States from India and a Jewish mother born and raised in New York. My parents married in 1968 against their families wishes. When I was born, however, both sides of my family had worked through their issues enough for my sister and I to feel embraced by both sides of the family. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t think my parents found much comfort through religion. First, it threatened to separate them. There’s also a lot of pain and prosecution associated with religious identity in both of my backgrounds. My father’s family had to leave their home during the religious conflicts that created the Partition of India in 1947. My grandfather on my mother’s side immigrated to this country from Poland to escape the Holocaust. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In my first book, <i>The Whole Story of Half a Girl</i>, I wrote about a character who, like me, has Hindu and Jewish parents and tries to figure out how she identifies. For my most recent book, <i>The Night Diary</i>, I wrote about a child living through the Partition of India who has a Hindu father and a Muslim mother and has to decide where she belongs as her country is being torn apart along religious lines. For my next book, I’m writing about a young Jewish girl growing up in Connecticut whose older sister elopes with an Indian Hindu college student in the 1960s. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These stories are inspired by my own family history and all of the main characters question what religion means to them and how it compares to those around them. I’ve wondered many times if I feel “more” of one religion than the other. Growing up, my household practiced more Jewish traditions than Hindu ones, but my parents ultimately left these questions up to me. When I was young, I felt confused. I wanted a clear label for myself because it seemed like everyone around me had one. Later, I studied Hinduism in college to try and understand my background more, but after 47 years on the earth, I still don’t know the answer. The main difference now is that I’m stimulated by these questions and understand that religious identity can be murky for many. In some ways, it’s become my muse. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At times I have wondered if it would be simpler to let the questioning go and reject my religious identities altogether. I’ve heard people say, including my own parents, that the world would have less conflict if we didn’t have religion. I disagree. Yes, we have seen organized religion tear people apart all over the world. Sometimes people claim their religion as the “right” one and feel prejudice towards others who don’t share their beliefs. But I have also seen religion bring great comfort in dark times and make happy milestones even more meaningful. I have seen it provide community and structure in people’s lives. I have seen members of temples, mosques, and churches come together and work hard to help those in need. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In all religious groups, there are extremists who use religion to gain power through violence and domination. Many wars have started in the name of one religion or another. I see this as sadly part of the human condition, the underbelly of something meant to make people feel less alone in the universe. To me, that is the main purpose of a higher being—to provide a certain companionship to the human soul. I truly believe that if humans weren’t fighting about religion or using religion in their wars, they would choose something else. And, as we know, religion is just one of the many identities we fight about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think we created religious philosophies to provide structure and community, to answer the unknown, and to have something to believe in that feels bigger than ourselves. There are many ways besides organized religion to satisfy those needs and I find that a buffet works for me. I take a little of this and that and cobble together my own form of spirituality. If you asked me if I believed in god, I would say no, but if you asked me if I believe in something bigger than myself, I would say yes. I feel connected to both my Jewish and Hindu identities and still practice certain traditions in my home. They provide comfort, ritual, and connect me to my ancestors. So, what am I? I plan to spend the rest of my life enjoying the pursuit of that question. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Questrial;">Veera Hiranandani</strong><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "questrial";"> is the award-winning author of <em style="position: relative;">The Night Diary </em>(Kokila), which received the 2019 Newbery Honor Award, the 2019 Walter Dean Myers Honor Award and the 2018 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature. <em style="position: relative;">The Night Diary</em> has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, is a <em style="position: relative;">New York Times </em>Editor's Choice Pick,<em style="position: relative;"> </em>and was chosen as a 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year by<em style="position: relative;"> The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, </em>Amazon<em style="position: relative;">, School Library Journal, </em>and<em style="position: relative;"> Kirkus Reviews, </em>among others. She is also the author of </span><em style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Questrial; position: relative;">The Whole Story of Half a Girl </em><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "questrial";">(Yearling), which was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asian Book Award Finalist, and the chapter book series, </span><em style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Questrial; position: relative;">Phoebe G. Green</em><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "questrial";"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "questrial";">(Grosset & Dunlap).</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(42, 42, 42); color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "questrial";"> She earned her MFA in fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College. A former book editor at Simon & Schuster, she now teaches creative writing at <a href="https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/writing-institute/" style="color: rgb(141, 36, 36) !important; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Sarah Lawrence College's Writing Institute</a> and is working on her next novel.</span> </div>
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Find out more about Veera at: <a href="https://www.veerahiranandani.com/">https://www.veerahiranandani.com</a></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-83560157253656595072019-08-03T14:29:00.002-04:002019-08-03T14:29:50.520-04:00The Unconscious Power of Faith<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">by Leah Henderson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">Faith and spirituality have always been an important part of my upbringing. Church every Sunday and Wednesday night, Sunday School, Bible study (with a graphic novel Bible), choir, prayers over meals, church picnics, mom singing gospel while she worked, and listening to it over the radio during car rides was just how it was growing up. I never really took note of how faith, spirituality, and belief influenced how I went about my daily life—it just did. Prayers for strength and guidance, aren’t new to me either, and I often look up to the sky asking how come a hurdle or road block is put on my path or simply just to ask why. That connection to my faith is strong. So, when I finished my first novel I shouldn’t have been surprised to realize just how much faith and spirituality informed my character’s journey as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">When I started writing One Shadow on the Wall, which takes place in Senegal, West Africa, I didn’t intend for religion, superstition, and spirituality to make their way into the storyline, but just like in my life, they appeared in big and small ways. My main character’s source of belief, will, and protection came from his parent’s strong connection to their Muslim faith, as well as from a deep cultural belief system many Senegalese adhere to, which is often intertwined with superstition. My character wore gris-gris, small leather pouches filled with Koranic scriptures around his upper arm and waist to ward off evil and he prayed each morning just as his father taught him. Over and over I found him or others asking Allah to bless their journeys and hopes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">Without realizing it, certain markers of faith were being woven into my character’s world. Yet it wasn’t until I began to take a closer look at how superstition and faith linked that I truly took note of the fascinating spiritual culture being highlighted in my book. Senegal, the “land of teranga,” a place of community, connection, and hospitality is known for its understanding, respect, and tolerance of different religions. And I was seeing that unfold during a number of scenes, especially the most pivotal ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">At first, I shied away from exploring what role superstition played within the culture, because what did I know? Nothing. But even though I do not have the same belief system as my characters, I understand what faith looks like and how it can work within daily life. I was apprehensive but as I kept reading, asking questions, and learning, I came to see that just like within my life, my character’s beliefs couldn’t be separated from him or the characters around him. I soon realized that if I wanted to create an accurate and authentic story, I needed to have faith in faith’s role in my work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">So, I wonder, in what ways are religion, faith, and spirituality linked in your life and your stories in both conscious and unconscious ways?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Leah Henderson is the author of the middle grade novel </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One Shadow on the Wall,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> a Children’s Africana Book Award notable, and a Bank Street Best Book. Her forthcoming picture books include </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Together We March</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">, </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day For Rememberin’</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">, and </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mamie on the Mound.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> She also has a new middle grade novel </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Magic in Changing Your Stars</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> on the horizon</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "adobe garamond pro" , serif;">Find out more about Leah Henderson at: </span><a href="http://www.leahhendersonbooks.com/">http://www.leahhendersonbooks.com</a></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-57319835241213982862019-07-28T15:44:00.000-04:002019-07-28T15:44:57.026-04:00Prayer<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; line-height: 16.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Nancy Bo Flood <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;">March 10, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Prayer </h3>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Imagine the prayer of a child who has just moved to a new place. Let’s listen in:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>“Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret. I’m in my new bedroom but I still have the same bed. It’s so quiet here at night –nothing like the city. I see shadows on my wall and hear these funny creaking sounds. It’s scary, God!” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Of course, this is from Judy Blume’s revolutionary and controversial, Are<i>You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, </i>a Richard Jackson Book from Simon and Schuster, published in 1970.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Margaret’s prayer was asking for safety, for protection from the unknown. Her prayers also asked - <i>please listen, please help me understand, myself, being a friend, and please, let me have my period SOON.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Margaret’s understanding of prayer was simple and uncomplicated. Speaking with a god, a personal god, who listens. Who or what is this god? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that this force, this energy, is a being who hopefully has control over life, death, and getting one’s period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">What was revolutionary about that? Isn’t prayer a basic part of being human? Like being scared and asking for help? Being confused or lost in grief and ask, <i>Why, god, why?</i> Or being in awe and celebrating the mystery and beauty of the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Why then is there a silent but strong taboo in children’s literature to having our characters reach out to the spiritual, to try out prayer? We won’t even talk about menstruation (too messy), and one thing even more messy (more political?) - is spirituality.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret </span></i><span style="color: #444444;">is a classic, a book that one reads with passion as a child, with amusement as a teen, and with a smile as an adult. Margaret talks to God at night, alone, personal. And she feels a presence, someone is listening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Times have greatly changed the rules for writing in children’s literature. Sex is OK but periods are not. Swearing, exploring gender identity, exploring sexuality – go right ahead. But NOT spirituality, yet is there a more basic part of the seeking we do as teens as we ask, “what’s it all about?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">As authors, what scares us away from including the spiritual searches, questions, changes, growth of our characters? What scares away an editor from publishing a book that includes prayer? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Our characters are often challenged with terrible situations and great losses. Children lose parents, friends, identity, their health, their limbs. They are abused, molested, abandoned. How do they find strength, understanding, forgiveness, acceptance?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Our older characters are challenged with “coming of age,” of figuring out “Who am I, what do I believe, who do I want to become?” Adolescence is a time of putting aside childhood beliefs that were taught, were given, and then daring to step away from a childhood faith and search for one’s own, “What do I believe?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Our young-adult characters search for strength, for meaning, for connections, the safety and comfort of being with people that care about them, people they can trust. They also search for spiritual understanding. They search for a god that listens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">I close with these statements from Einstein: </span><i>The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical.…<span style="color: #444444;">.</span></i><i>That deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.</i><i><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></i><span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">The sensation of the mystical is part of every human, and thus a part of every character that journeys through our stories. But too often the mystical is kept silent. This needs to change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">Are you there, God? It’s me ….<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Nancy Bo Flood has written several books including </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/the-navajo-year/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #436fbd; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="The Navajo Year">Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons</a></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> (Arizona Book of the Year), </span><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/warriors-in-the-crossfire/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #436fbd; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="Warriors in the Crossfire"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Warriors in the Crossfire</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> (Colorado Book of the Year), </span><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/no-name-baby/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #436fbd; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="No-Name Baby"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">No-Name Baby</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> (Top 100 Books of the Year, Bank Street), and </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/cowboy-up-ride-the-navajo-rodeo/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #436fbd; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;" title="Cowboy Up! Ride the Navajo Rodeo">Cowboy Up, Ride the Navajo Rodeo</a> (</em><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "roboto" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">a Junior Library Guild Selection). Winner of the 2016 SCBWI Book Launch Award, <i>Sister Soldier, Fly Home</i> received a starred review from PW and was a Scholastic Book Club Selection. <i>Water Runs Through This Book</i> was a Green Earth qualified book and a Sigurd Olson Best Nature Writing Award Winner. Find out more about her and her work at: </span></span></span><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/">https://nancyboflood.com</a></div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-3018303792645950282019-07-22T10:31:00.000-04:002019-07-22T10:31:09.387-04:00A few words by Margarita Engle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The very first time I met award-winning author Margarita Engle, I felt an instant connection with her. Although every such inter-personal connection is far too deep to understand rationally, there were similarities between us. Not only is she an author, like me, but also, like me, she was trained as a scientist. </div>
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Whenever I heard her speak (and of course whenever I read her books), I sensed that she is deeply spiritual. So, when I had the chance to interview her, I asked her the question below, to which she provided a thoughtful, concise and clear response (an unpublished excerpt from the interview I conducted):</div>
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Padma Venkatraman:</div>
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You are a scientist. You are also deeply religious. How do the scientific and religious world views</div>
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come together in your approach to the writing life?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Margarita Engle:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Science and God are compatible, because both seek a harmonious relationship with nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I wish for an outdoor church, instead of the modern kind with no windows and too</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">much technology. There was a time when I would have simply called myself Christian, but now I</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">need to clarify that I am only comfortable at peacemaking churches such as Mennonite and</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Quaker meetings. If I walk into an otherwise friendly community church and see right wing</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">extremist political pamphlets, or pictures of fighter jets and other images of war, or if a pastor</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">insults other religions, or if there is no racial diversity, I walk out.</span></div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-74806748604724176222019-06-19T18:44:00.003-04:002019-06-23T23:19:52.611-04:00Of Bookstores and Crabapple Trees: Places Where I’ve Contemplated God<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt;">By Jacqueline Davies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt;">Of Bookstores and Crabapple Trees:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt;">Places Where I've Contemplated God</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I was standing at the checkout counter of my local bookstore—a place where the booksellers know my name and chat comfortably with me about vacation plans and dogs—when a man walked in the door. Agitated, he seemed not sure of where to go, as we all are from time to time. He was carrying with him that strange energy of great forward momentum in the absence of any particular direction. I noted him out of the corner of my eye and continued talking to the store owner as she rang up my sale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Within a minute he approached the counter and posed his question: “Where are the books written by Jesus?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The store owner looked up from the book she held in her hand and asked, “Do you mean books about Jesus?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“No!” he insisted. “I want the books written <i>by </i>him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Without missing a beat, the owner pointed to the Religion section and suggested he might find something he liked there. “I’ll be over to help in a minute,” she added, handing me the credit card slip for signature and bagging my purchases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Many things went through my head as I signed my name. How readily the owner had been willing to meet the man where he was. How certain the man was that Jesus’ work was still collecting royalties. The wonder of independent bookstores and the miracle that they exist and even thrive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I noticed on the slip that the owner had extended the store’s “local author discount” to me, for which I am always grateful. It’s a small thing, that discount, but it always feels to me that by giving the discount the store is saying, <i>Thank you for doing the hard work of writing books</i>, to which I always respond silently in my head, <i>Thank you for recognizing how hard it is and for showing that you care and that it matters. Your appreciation fortifies me. </i>It might be that the store is <i>not </i>expressing this sentiment at all, and that I’m having a two-sided conversation in my head that is complete fabrication. It happens a lot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Which led me to think about the fact that I’m an author who constantly makes things up and occasionally manages to get them down on paper. Which further led me to think on the fact that Jesus was <i>not </i>an author. The owner knew it, and I knew it, and soon this agitated man would know it. While historians and theologians agree and disagree about many things related to the remarkable life led by Jesus, it can be agreed by all that he never wrote a book. The man was going to be disappointed to learn that. He was certain that Jesus was the author of <i>many </i>books. Perhaps he expected an entire section of the bookstore to be filled with his titles alone. I wondered if he would think that this <i>particular </i>bookstore simply didn’t carry any of Jesus’ books (shelf space being limited, after all), and if he would continue his quest at another, larger bookstore (perhaps a Barnes & Noble?).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I stepped outside and felt the sudden, surprising sun that had blessed this one February day in a month of gray and dreary days, and once again was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratefulness. <i>Oh! Thank you! </i>I lifted my face to the sun and felt both the sunshine and gratitude wash over me. There was nothing more to say. <i>Oh!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">As I drove home, I was still thinking about the man in search of Author Jesus—not Savior Jesus or Spiritual Guide Jesus or Son of God Jesus, but <i>the man who had written books</i>. (The Bible, of course, which contains many quotations attributed to Jesus, is thought to have been written largely by Paul the Apostle, and while it can be said that Jesus provided great material, it was Paul who faced the blank page on a daily basis and who, no doubt, experienced that all-too-familiar fear that paralyzes many an author: <i>Am I up to this task?</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I was deep in thought—there was a lot to think about—and on streets so familiar I could have driven them in my sleep, when I suddenly realized I was fast approaching a parked police car, lying in wait on a side street. <i>Oh, please, no! </i>I thought. I was definitely going over the speed limit on this well-traveled residential street, and as I looked in my rear-view mirror, just before taking the turn I always take to go home, I saw the police car slowly pull out of the side street and begin to follow me. <i>No! No! No! </i>I said again as I slowly continued my usual route home. Another turn. One more. I checked my rear-view mirror again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">No police car. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Maybe the officer wasn’t trying to pull me over in the first place. Maybe I had cleverly evaded capture by driving my usual route at fifteen miles per hour. Whatever the reason, I didn’t get a ticket that day. And for the rest of my drive I home, I felt that special gratitude that is only felt when you realize that you’ve done something really stupid and somehow you’ve managed to walk away without paying the price. Think of all those times in your life, big and small, when you’ve been dumb lucky. <i>Thank you, thank you, thank you</i>, I whispered quietly all the way home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In fact, I whispered, <i>Thank you, God</i>. As I had when I felt the sunshine on my face, and as I had even when receiving the local author discount. <i>Thank you, God</i>, for all the remarkable advantages that have allowed me to become an author, the only thing I ever wanted to be. <i>Thank you, God</i>, for sunshine, which never fails to astound and delight me. <i>Thank you, God,</i>for letting me get away with one—and, yes, I will try really hard to remember to drive more slowly next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I would guess that I thank God about five to ten times a day, every day. Which wouldn’t be so remarkable but for the fact that I’m an atheist. Not an agnostic, not a wandering spiritualist, not a faint checkmark in the box labeled “Other”—an atheist. I was raised an atheist by two atheists, and it’s what I believe. It’s what I’ve believed since my earliest consciousness. I didn’t choose it. It’s who I am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">And yet, when expressing gratitude—which I feel so greatly and continually and ever more as I age—it just feels right to express it <i>to someone</i>. Some thing. Some other. To say thank you into a void feels incomplete to me. And so, I follow the easy path, and just tack “God” onto the end of my gratitude. It seems to finish the thought for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">To be clear, this well-thanked God of mine isn’t New Testament or even Old Testament. This God isn’t drawn from any of the major religions—Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or Christianity or Judaism—all of which I’m embarrassingly ignorant of. (Remember, I was raised an atheist, so I missed Sunday school and its equivalents.) What I call God isn’t a god. It’s something much more complex: an awareness, a cohesion, a gathering spot, a center. A place or a feeling or an acknowledgement that there is great beauty and heartbreaking loss and an aching need for love and community and compassion and acceptance. That sometimes we are lucky, and sometimes we are smited. That people can be kind and people can be cruel, and kindness is always the better path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">My oldest sister (also a born-and-bred atheist) becomes really irritated with me when I use the word “blessed,” which I do occasionally in the broadest of ways. Perhaps it’s our different approach to words. She’s a lawyer, and sometimes the precise definition of a single word changes the meaning of an entire law. I’m a fiction writer, and I delight in the fungibility of words, the playful bending of them. For me, words like “blessed” and “sacred” can live comfortably in my atheistic world. They are beautiful words with beautiful meanings, and I choose not to exclude them from my vocabulary simply because I don’t believe in “God.” (I’ve never told my sister that I regularly thank God; she’d have a coronary, and I love her much too much for that.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I’m reminded now of one of the earliest conversations I remember about religion. It didn’t take place in a church or around a dinner table, but rather in a crabapple tree. I was six, and my best friend and neighbor, Lynn, was five. We were sitting on our favorite branches when she said, “You’re going to hell.” I asked why. She said, “Because you weren’t baptized, and anyone who isn’t baptized goes to hell when they die.” Her older sister, Lori, was preparing for her first communion, so no doubt the sacraments were on Lynn’s mind. She wasn’t being mean when she told me I was going to hell. Rather she was stating a fact. Something she had worked out in her mind. (Still. Rough stuff to hear at the age of six!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Now, I was <i>positive </i>this couldn’t be correct. If it were true, my parents would have told me, <i>and </i>they would have done whatever needed to be done to make sure I didn’t end up in a state of everlasting damnation. (Back then, I imagined hell as a desert. I had seen <i>Lawrence of Arabia</i>, and I figured hell was something like that. Endless. Hot. Sand in all the wrong places.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">But Lynn was so implacably certain. It got me flustered. I sputtered, “That isn’t true.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Yes, it is.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“No, it’s not!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Yes, it is!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“No, it’s not!” (This is the level of theological discourse that five- and six-year-olds are capable of.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Yes, it is!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Then prove it!” I said, knowing that science was on my side; my parents were on my side; my whole six years of lived experience were on my side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“It says so,” replied Lynn coolly. “<i>In a book</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Gasp! She was right. And it was a <i>BIG </i>book. And an important one. In fact, the best-selling book of all time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">We revered books in my house. Classics <i>and </i>bestsellers. Things that were <i>in books </i>held special sway in my family. I had no come back. My six-year-old self couldn’t argue myself out of damnation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I was so angry in that crabapple tree. Angry that I couldn’t beat her argument with one of my own. Angry that I’d been bested by someone who was a whole year younger than me. And angriest of all that my defeat was the result of a book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I don’t have any grand conclusion to present here. I’m just pondering about a man who wants Jesus to be an author; and a little girl who argued that a book <i>itself </i>was as powerful as God, and a slightly older little girl who grew into an author and who needs to invent a new word that somehow encompasses the concept of a great, loving, multitudinous yet connected, bountiful, generous <i>something </i>that exists on some plane, in some form, deep within every microcosm and spread wide throughout the universe. It is the thing that inspires awe: a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder and gratitude. That. I need a word for that. And of course, it has to go well with <i>thank you</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Jacqueline Davies has eleven published children's books to her credit, including </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/where-the-ground-meets-the-sky" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Where the Ground Meets the Sky</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Cavendish, 2002), </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/the-boy-who-drew-birds" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Houghton Mifflin, 2004, illustrated by Melissa Sweet), </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/the-night-is-singing" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">The Night Is Singing</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Dial, 2006, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker), </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/the-house-takes-a-vacation" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">The House Takes a Vacation</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Cavendish, 2007, illustrated by Lee White), </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/tricking-the-tallyman" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Tricking the Tallyman</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Random House, 2009), Lost, and </span><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/the-lemonade-war" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">The Lemonade War</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> series. Her most recent titles include </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/panda-pants" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Panda Pants</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Random House, September 13, 2016) and </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/nothing-but-trouble" style="caret-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961); color: #04def6; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro; font-size: 18px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Nothing But Trouble</a><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (HarperCollins, 2016). Her books have won numerous awards, including</span><span style="color: rgba(26 , 26 , 26 , 0.701961); font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12, the John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers, The Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, the New York Library’s Best Books List, the NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, the IRA/CBC Children’s Award Notable Book for Fiction, the Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books, and the CCBC Choices Award. Learn more about her work at: </span><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/">http://www.jacquelinedavies.net</a><br />
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-3325063037271909962019-06-17T11:37:00.000-04:002019-06-17T12:05:51.651-04:00The Journey Behind the Words<br />
by Pat Collins<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">©2019</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">The Journey Behind the Words</span><br />
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This morning I unearthed a journal that I kept during three Lenten seasons (2008, 2009, and 2012) while I still considered myself a Catholic. In it I recorded my daily reflections on Thomas Merton’s suggested meditations in his book “Lenten and Easter Wisdom.” I apparently skipped over two years and in 2012, I only made it to the Saturday after Ash Wednesday. The rest of the journal is blank.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the missing two years, my husband was heading towards the advanced stages of dementia. By Lent of 2012, he had been admitted to the dementia care unit of The Soldiers Home in Boston, MA, and I was living alone. At the time, I was still teaching writing at Lesley University, and I began to conduct a workshop at the The Soldier’s Home called “Telling Our Stories” which proved helpful to a number of men and women there and meant a great deal to me in understanding the many layers of a disease that has become more prevalent as our life spans expand. The intact personhood of each man as displayed in this group was astonishing. </div>
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I wonder now why nothing about that difficult period was included in my spiritual journal. In the years I did chronicle, however, the pages are not only full of pain and loneliness but contain the concrete formation of the many realizations and questions about my religious life that had been haunting me for a very long time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the Thursday after Ash Wednesday in 2008, Merton’s meditation is: <i>What are the illusions in my life that I accept as reality?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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My answers are: <i>That I may have built my house on myth, That my faith is stagnant and cannot grow, That I am not strong enough for what is in store for me. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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On the first Sunday of Lent in 2009, the meditation is on Complacency, and I wrote, <i>I often wonder if my faith would be stronger if the news of the coming of The Son of God had startled me as an adult. I pray for fervor. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Throughout, my jottings are interspersed with anger at the church hierarchy and at certain doctrinal conclusions that seemed more magical than mystical. Many church laws confounded me as well such as the exclusion of women from ordination and the elevation of Mary as a mediatrix of grace so as to satisfy the female worshippers and provide a mother figure. My need to make a distinction between religion and spirituality was also growing. The discovery of rampant pedophilia, though repugnant to me, was not the last straw as it was for many others, but one in a whole broom-full of straws.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was still wondering why <i>I have been subservient to a church that often seems removed from the real problems of its people, </i>but I was not yet aware that I would soon decide that the only honest thing for me to do was to leave that community altogether. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I made this decision, I was eighty years old.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is now six years later. Though I miss the liturgy, ceremony, and worshipful singing, I feel more spiritually strong than at any other time in my life and more in tune with the God of my younger years, whom I described in the Lenten journal as, “ the God that I know from within without visualization or pre-conception.” If prayer is the lifting of the heart and mind to God, that is still something I do on a regular basis. Gratitude is also a constant in this long life I’ve been privileged to live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And as I go about the adventure of growing old, I find new discoveries and enlightenments with every new day. One such is that as the body declines, the spirit continues to grow and that while some things change (new friends, fresh ideas), others remain the same (old friends and attachments, long-held truths.) <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the First Sunday of Lent in 2009, in answer to a prompt on Significance, I wrote: <i>The most significant part of the day for me is morning</i>. <i>It is a beginning. There is always hope in it. It is full of possibilities. The most significant </i><i>part of the year is fall when nature goes to sleep while still on fire. There are profound messages in this advance towards winter – glimpses of the eternal, the way in which to die, how to endure what is left of living.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i> </i>Ten years ago, this essay would have been very different. I had many more answers then, or thought I did, even as it didn’t escape me that God is worshiped in multiple ways throughout the world and that many wise and wonderful people don’t believe in Him at all. Now, the older I get the more questions I have and the more comfortable I am in this universe of paradoxes.<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pat Lowery Collins is a poet, painter, and author of many award-winning books for children and young adults which include <i>I Am An Artist, The Fattening Hut, Hidden Voices,</i> and <i>Daughter of Winter.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">She</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> recently retired from teaching creative writing in the low residency MFA program at Lesley University and is now concentrating on writing for adults in </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rockport, MA, where she lives and works. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Follow her blog </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aging and the Creative Process </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.patlc.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1560871263968000&usg=AFQjCNE5yzi5DfloVqCuWy991KFNSZzHNQ" href="http://www.patlc.wordpress.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">www.patlc.wordpress.com</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and find out more about her many contributions to literature for young people at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.patlowerycollins.com/&source=gmail&ust=1560871263968000&usg=AFQjCNHUWivVMVvil5SsckiJn7QmL4iPHg" href="http://www.patlowerycollins.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">www.patlowerycollins.com</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-79438261979839595552019-06-13T12:24:00.000-04:002019-06-13T21:02:11.319-04:00Consecration<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The cedar wreath burned.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sparked against the night,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">a full moon glowed</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">in sympathy with the cedar.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On the earth,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">this red earth,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the cedar flamed.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The moon,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">etched among </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the boughs of a tree,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">a foreign tree in full bloom,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the wind dipped and swayed </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">through the boughs</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">and the moon blossomed.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Tongues of flame</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">from the burning cedar </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">sparked high,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">higher than the blooms, </span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">higher than the boughs,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">to the moon</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">they reached,</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">to paint it with fire.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A horse and rider passed,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">unexpected, startling.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The muffled hooves stirred </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the red dirt road,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">raising dust.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Like the cedar smoke,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">the dust flared </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">into the night,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">spiraled</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">to the clouds</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">like a wish,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">like a prayer,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">an offering </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">to the moon. </span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrBTMe5FI_Sw89fF6TlIV1r-cDum_glpvn9x-Wrc1aU6DTSPlUAs0J4EkPyqzL4McQTjor2v63ce6KwTT9b2-N-84bIres1-fWVXQ1wzHwpXrGNgBYBNvuHjpEnTjTDUPVqmjJg/s1600/blue_roses_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrBTMe5FI_Sw89fF6TlIV1r-cDum_glpvn9x-Wrc1aU6DTSPlUAs0J4EkPyqzL4McQTjor2v63ce6KwTT9b2-N-84bIres1-fWVXQ1wzHwpXrGNgBYBNvuHjpEnTjTDUPVqmjJg/s1600/blue_roses_small.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Linda Boyden is an author, illustrator and storyteller who used to be a teacher. Her first picture book, <i>The Blue Roses</i>, was released in 2002 by Lee and Low Books; it was the winner of their New Voices Award. Since then, she has also published other acclaimed picture books, including <i>Powwow's Coming </i>(University of New Mexico Press).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNF5SSAMRbaGwlfkSuEiDUuLyaOLZZ-kBCAAqcJnNI-UDibJSwDTQPIehgXccpab0HA7boUYAAcTvGcrvlBamDU4h6XJ_5rIGVTyII6XlOVTM0EZ8qdmFMZzM4JXxW4TBvZI6lA/s1600/powwowthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNF5SSAMRbaGwlfkSuEiDUuLyaOLZZ-kBCAAqcJnNI-UDibJSwDTQPIehgXccpab0HA7boUYAAcTvGcrvlBamDU4h6XJ_5rIGVTyII6XlOVTM0EZ8qdmFMZzM4JXxW4TBvZI6lA/s1600/powwowthumb.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Her <i>Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanword</i>s from the Americas is an amazing addition to alphabet books - and she illustrated it as well. In 2013 she wrote an illustrated her fourth picture book Boy and Poi Por Puppy and she celebrated the completion of her fifth picture book, Roxy Reindeer in Fall 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In addition to writing for children, Linda Boyden has contributed to the following collections for adults:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Linda Boyden</span><span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> enjoys school visits, storytelling programs at libraries, and presenting at writing conferences and other events around the country and is an active member of SCBWI, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers and the Redding Writers Forum. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I was honored and grateful to receive the gift of her permission to showcase her beautiful poem. I hope you enjoyed her poem as much as I did and that you'll </span><span style="color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">learn more about her and her work at: </span></div>
<a href="http://www.lindaboyden.com/" target="_blank">http://www.lindaboyden.com/</a>Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-24925881574343043282019-06-11T11:54:00.002-04:002019-06-17T11:16:47.345-04:00SAIL this summer<br />
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This summer, I'm going to SAIL the ocean of compassion and storytelling by launching a blogging project. I plan<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"> to showcase the thoughts of other authors on the topic of Spirituality, philosophy And religion In Literature for young people. And if you're wondering what my thoughts are on this topic, see my previous posts on this blog (my essay ALL THE UNSEEN and my poem WORDS, WHITE SPACE AND SPIRITUALITY) or the article I was honored to be invited to write for Kirkus Reviews (<a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/diversity/diversity-issues/accept-dont-just-tolerate/" target="_blank">Accept, Don't Tolerate)</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">This spring, I approached my colleagues in a haphazard way (as a scientist I have to admit there was no systematic random sampling). I asked many - whoever I happened to meet - if they were interested in contributing to this project. I also sent out a call for submissions (any length, any form - poetry, story, essay) on the topic of Spirituality/philosophy And religion In Literature for young people. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Why? Because today, I see religious intolerance and hatred all over the world. Maybe it's always existed and I was just oblivious to it. Then again, I'm convinced that religious tolerance has also always existed. I'm convinced that one way to move toward peace is through mutual understanding. Mutual understanding cannot come about when we ignore or hide our feelings and ideas, and so I seek to have a safe space for us to speak out and share our views on religion (or the lack thereof) in our own lives, and issues related to our personal philosophies (agnosticism and atheism included). </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">I encouraged authors to share their personal takes on this important topic in some way, or reflect on current trends or review books that contained substantial content on this topic. I explained that all I wanted was to encourage authors who write for young readers to reflect on this aspect of diversity in a manner that is open, egalitarian and all-embracing. I promised to include any and all contributions I received so long as they stood by principles of tolerance and mutual respect. </span></div>
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I received a wonderful list of contributions by many brilliant (listed below) authors, and I'll be publishing them on this blog in the weeks to come. Feel free to share the posts if you enjoy them, but note that given the sensitive nature of this topic and the fact that my colleagues have so courageously agreed to discuss something that is so deeply personal, I have turned off comments. No internet platform is ever safe but I really hope that this summer we can merely listen and think rather than react and respond; and that if we do feel compelled to respond, we do so quietly and calmly and in a manner that supports and doesn't destroy (I've always held that if one would feel comfortable standing on a stage and addressing the entire world audience about a topic, it's okay to write about it on the internet; if you'd hesitate, then maybe you shouldn't). </div>
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Whenever, as an oceanographer, I planned a scientific cruise, I was always a little afraid of what would happen. As I launch this project, I am afraid. But just as when I was an oceanographer, I also feel excited and hopeful. I hope most deeply, that like my characters Viji and Arul in THE BRIDGE HOME, the readers of these posts will discover that although they may differ widely in their views, they can still form deep bonds of respect, admiration and friendship.</div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">If you'd like to contribute a piece for next summer (yes, I plan to SAIL every summer), please contact me via social media (twitter at padmatv; fb venkatraman dot padma) or use the contact form on my website <a href="http://www.padmavenkatraman.com/">www.padmavenkatraman.com<span style="color: #007600;"> </span></a></span><br />
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If you'd like to connect with me for the #globalreadaloud project or find teacher resources for THE BRIDGE HOME, please visit the author website and follow my blog posts there. I will be posting updates on my plans to answer student questions, weekly videos, giveaways and contests associated with #GRA19 #GRABridge on</div>
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This summer, I hope you'll<span style="margin: 0px;"> enjoying SAILing with </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.lindaboyden.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b00000;"></span>Linda Boyden</a> the week of June 9th (<i>Consecration</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.patlowerycollins.com/" target="_blank">Pat Lowery Collins</a> the week of June 16th (<i>The Journey Behind the Words</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.jacquelinedavies.net/" target="_blank">Jacqueline Davies</a> the week of June 23rd (<i>Of Bookstores and Crabapple Trees: Places Where I've Contemplated God</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://margaritaengle.com/" target="_blank">Margarita Engle</a> the week of July 14th (Excerpt from an interview I conducted)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://nancyboflood.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Bo Flood</a> the week of July 21st (<i>Prayer</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.leahhendersonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Leah Henderson</a> the week of July 28th (<i>The Unconscious Power of Faith</i>)</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.veerahiranandani.com/" target="_blank">Veera Hiranandani</a> the week of August 4th (<i>What are you?</i>)<br />
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Abbey Nash the week of August 11th<i> (God in a Carton of Eggs)</i><br />
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Kelly Mullen McWilliams the week of August 18th<br />
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Rachna Gilmore (reblogging her answer from a WNDB roundtable I conducted ages ago) August 25th<br />
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Ruksana Khan, Mitali Perkins and Uma Krishnaswami (reblogging answers from the WNDB roundtable I hope; I am still waiting on permission).</div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-61923993938507024792018-11-20T11:02:00.001-05:002018-11-20T11:02:41.842-05:00All the unseen<div>
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A viper once struck the inner curve of my bare foot. Which foot? I no longer remember. It left two dots where it punctured my skin, two red dots like the one I used to paint on my forehead every day, long ago, when I lived in India, when I was a child. </div>
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One of the four most poisonous snakes in India bit me. I never saw it. I didn’t even hear it hiss, although the pain shooting through me tore an animal scream out of my throat. Tears spurted into my eyes. I wiped them away. I had never cried before my siblings and would not start now. In the insight of that instant I understood the cliché of pain like hot swords; my brain, losing its sense of reality, had searched to see a little man holding white-hot metal knives, ready to pierce my skin again. How could I have missed <o:p></o:p></div>
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such a sound, my brother asked, for it was dark and the road to the doctor’s home was long and potholed and he did not want to drive. My mother could not drive and eager not to disturb her first son’s evening, she, too, insisted it could not have been a snake. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Their certainty overwhelmed me. Perhaps by then I was tired of fighting. I had won many fights, left the country already, though in my late teens, ready to live alone in a country far away across the ocean. I had won enough and was too tired to battle again. For one thing, the pain was excruciating. Worse than labor, I can say now, although I knew nothing of child bearing then: I was busy baring my soul<o:p></o:p></div>
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baring my detest of unquestioning obedience, my refusal to stay quiet in the face of injustices reaped by my elders though not my betters, societal wrongs I had to fight, I mean. My teen years were too full of larger issues for me to stay self-obsessed. It was an age when girls were shunned for days when they had a period – a custom many South Asian Indian American friends observe even today, even all these miles away from the oppression into which they were born….<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most snakes weren’t poisonous anyhow; and I had been foolish, my footsteps muffled by sand, as I shuffled through beach grasses ruffled by the starlit breeze in the wildest acre of my sister-in-law’s rambling garden. So I let it go, without argument. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My silence made it harder to protest later. I almost fainted, I could have said. Take me to a doctor, I could have said. If I had fussed enough, perhaps they would have grumbled their way to a clinic, with me in tow. I stayed quiet, although it took an effort not to sob with pain; I who had not shrieked, not once when my father took the horsewhip off the wall and sent it snaking, repeatedly, onto my six-year old skin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Why? I had not protested my innocence as a child, because I was too busy biting my lip, thinking I shall not give him the pleasure of hearing me scream, I shall never weep before this man. It was the same stubbornness when my mother and siblings said it was not a snake. My mother hated to be a burden to others. My siblings, nineteen, seventeen and fifteen years older than I found me a burden,<o:p></o:p></div>
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You crave attention they’d say in a few days when I’d passed blood for the second time and finally said I had to get to the hospital. This is just something you brought on yourself because you’re such an angry disrespectful girl. To this day, they insist I am not independent. They must know. They live near the place of their birth, still, the place I left when I was not-quite-nineteen,<o:p></o:p></div>
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To make my way alone. I loved alone-ness. Loneliness caught at my throat every now and then as a child, but alone-ness was another universe. A universe I escaped into each time I walked alone or stood alone. A universe waiting in the dazzle of dewdrops dancing on waxy lotus leaves that rose above the squishy mud of the pond in that same garden where I was snake-bitten. Sunlit dewdrops, diamond bright before they disappeared <o:p></o:p></div>
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out of ephemeral lives. Perhaps my love of alone-ness was why I wasn’t scared when the doctor held my hands in his and said, "You are so cheerful, you give me hope." “Aren’t you the one who should be giving me the hope?” I said and laughed. Yes, I laughed right through the pain, though pain I was and still am scared of. The indignity pain can bring. I never want to suffer such a thing. So I joked as much as I could<o:p></o:p></div>
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Intravenous dinner for me tonight, I guess? Some doctors forced their lips into smiles. Plural, yes. There were at least three around my bed and then many visited through the night. It was like being in a cage at the zoo. I was a specimen, important to look at, certainly other people would suffer snake bites and it was a matter of professional interest to ensure they saw my rainbow skin<o:p></o:p></div>
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"Lovely as a Renoir painting," I said, though my skin was colored by poison not scintillating light. Four nights after the bite I’d come. Just within the outer limit, they said. An hour longer and I’d have gone, they said. Four nights they waited to write my death certificate. I laughed a lot. My life was not all pain, after all, there was beauty and moments of happiness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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"<span style="font-family: Cambria;">No pain relievers," I said, determined to live those last moments to the full. I left</span><br />
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my body and hovered above the room, watching my brother try to use the melodrama of my impending death to try and make peace with my father. I saw pieces of love I’d felt in my life. My gardener who’d comforted me when I’d said to him, bravely, I think I’m about to die, having felt my first loose tooth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At five, I was scared of death, as I no longer was by fifteen. He’d held my hands in his leathered palms and smiled and said, no I wasn’t going to die. Everyone’s teeth fell out and then grew back and then fell out again and that second time they wouldn’t grow back, but that was far away. Or maybe never <o:p></o:p></div>
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If I died there in the gray hospital room, the stench of phinayl filling my nostrils. If I died there, the world would still spin the next day I thought and it filled me with such joy. Strange, yet why should it be strange? Stars had sequined the black sari of sky before my birth and would shimmer on after my death<o:p></o:p></div>
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Starlight, reaching us from so far, after, perhaps the star the light emanated from was gone. When we peer into the night sky, we see the dead looking back at us. That’s what physics shows us. Physics and the beauty of math had dazzled me as a child, with the notion of infinity and that night as I journeyed beyond words and numbers, as I voyaged, <o:p></o:p></div>
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infinity infused <o:p></o:p></div>
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my soul. I enter a place indescribable, a peace unending, a joy, oh what joy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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And this is what I hold, what I know to be sure, as I am jerked back to the world by the sight of tears, like starlight streaming down my beloved gardener’s night-black cheeks,<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I return to my body and my hospital bed and whatever years of life are left in me, my mother weeping tears of relief, my aunts saying “Thank God her daughter didn’t die, she’s been through so much already, her husband deserting her, leaving her penniless after all the wealth they’d shared and that huge home they’d had, leaving her with a daughter who said she would prefer to live alone with her mother than move into her grandfather’s home; an indecently strong daughter….”<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I return to doctors in disbelief writing my birth certificate<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is what I know to be true:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wherever we go, our names matter not; <o:p></o:p></div>
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nor do the names we use to describe that immense, infinite, indescribable power of good that so many of us call God. The ancient Hindus, the sages whose blood runs in my veins, spoke of God not as he or she but ultimately as “it.” What a terrible coincidence that L’Engle used that word to describe the ultimately evil brain!<o:p></o:p></div>
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To me, God will always be it. Not this, not this, not this, my sages sang in Sanskrit. No better description shall I ever find. Not male nor female but both, nor human nor animal nor plant, but all three, neither only alive nor inanimate, perhaps because of my Hindu upbringing, I shall always in my blood feel the surging song of the Vedanta. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As each river follows its own path to the one great ocean, whether it runs slow or fast, straight or meandering, smooth or not, in the end, each river rushes into the arms of the all embracing sea. So do we, each of us souls, in the end, I surely believe, <o:p></o:p></div>
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attain God – or if you prefer, the power of Good, the ultimate Good which is compassion, the ability to feel from within another’s skin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Because in the end, we are not bodies that have souls, we are souls in possession of these material bodies for a while, are we not? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Whether the souls reincarnate, an idea I give credence to as Hindu, or not, is immaterial. Ultimately, I don’t care. Those trivial details are interesting. The variety of our beliefs is interesting. I enjoy diversity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But I shall speak up always against those who insist on preserving and protecting and perpetuating soul racism. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Too strong? To me, coming from a religion that spoke of acceptance (not mere tolerance) and yet also a religion that birthed a million inhuman inequities, I believe God is beyond soul racism. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If God were to believe in untouchability, a Hindu leader once wrote, I would not recognize Him as God at all. I say, if God were to recognize religion and prefer one religion above another, I would not recognize this behavior as Godlike. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All of us who have touched infinity, <o:p></o:p></div>
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whether through an experience of near-death in a hospital <o:p></o:p></div>
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or while working in a laboratory <o:p></o:p></div>
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or while reading a book and experiencing that miracle of empathy that words may bring, when we breathe another’s breath, think their thoughts, live in their world, see as they see, hear as they hear, feel as they feel, as we inhabit another’s soul, <o:p></o:p></div>
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or raising voice in prayer in a church or synagogue or temple or mosque or one of the million other places we humans erect to savor the power of infinite good and infinite love, <o:p></o:p></div>
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all of us whose soul moves in those moments of life when we feel most aware and most loved, <o:p></o:p></div>
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all of our souls, to me, must be accepted as equal. To do otherwise is to place undue importance on impermanence. To emphasize too strongly what our eyes can see, what our ears can hear, <o:p></o:p></div>
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to emphasize names is to emphasize material things and forget the spiritual,<o:p></o:p></div>
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to entirely misunderstand the unseen. <o:p></o:p></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-90772943942289209852018-03-28T03:46:00.005-04:002018-03-28T03:46:58.891-04:00I is for Inclusion <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>We're celebrating Women's History month with 31 days of
posts focused on improving the climate for social and gender equality in the
children’s and teens’ literature community. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 6px 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Join in the conversation on Facebook </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidlitwomen" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #365899; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">https://www.facebook.com/kidlitwomen</span></a><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> or Twitter </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/kidlitwomen?source=feed_text" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #4267b2; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">#</span></span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #365899; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">kidlitwomen</span></span></a><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "&quot",serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks to Grace Lin for welcoming me to contribute on gender equity in kidlit. My contribution to
the conversation: seven suggestions that I hope will help create a more
inclusive and comfortable atmosphere before, during, and after author
visits/events: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Invite</b> diverse
speakers because you believe in them, not because others have decided they're
stars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not long ago, I was uninvited to give a keynote. Yes, you
read right - uninvited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Writing about this terrifies me, because although I'm
speaking in general terms, I fear someone will get upset or angry and then I'll
be made to pay for mentioning it. But others have had the courage to speak out
this month, and though I'm afraid of what may happen, I've decided it's
important to share this incident, especially because many people assume that
thanks to the marvelous work done by We Need Diverse Books, this sort of thing
no longer happens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometime back, I received an email saying 'our conference
theme is diversity, are you free to give a keynote address'? <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yes, I said and planned my travel. Much later,
I got another email that said, 'Sorry, but the committee decided instead to
invite XXX' (a straight white male who does not, I believe, have a disability).
Although I'd been demoted I was asked if I might do a workshop, and I decided
to attend, especially as I'd by then arranged for other events in the area. When
I arrived, I discovered that, like a log afloat on foam, I was the only brown
face in a sea of white. Did I say the conference theme was diversity? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I fully admit there was a misunderstanding. I assumed the
first email was an invitation (because usually when someone asks if I'm free to
give a keynote, it means they want me to do it). The author who did give the
keynote address is someone whose work I respect, he is extremely well known,
has won several of "the most important" awards etc. So I was expected
to understand and accept the uninvitation with grace, which I like to think I
did. But the incident left me thinking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I've been invited to give keynotes by people who believed in
my work, and didn't care about the level of success I had or hadn't achieved.
I've also been told, by others, that they "wished" they could someday
invite me, by which they mean, if you achieve this or that, then, (and only
then), you'll be invited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As anyone who has followed the posts published this month
will acknowledge, there are several inequities in our kidlit world. And, in my
opinion, there are plenty of brilliant authors who are also marvelous speakers;
who, for one reason or another haven't yet - and may never - get
"the" sales/fame/awards. Why not go ahead and invite, highlight, celebrate
and showcase dedicated authors whose work you love,admire and respect, but who
haven't necessarily received "the" level of attention? This won't
give conference attendees and organizers the same level of bragging rights (no
guess-whom-I-rubbed-shoulders-with-last-night post-conference blog posts). But if
you love a famous author as much as an unknown, why not treat them equally well?
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After all, money is often tight. But maybe instead of
withholding income from "lesser" names, or, as is unfortunately too
often the case asking brilliant non-male authors to contribute time pro-bono
because they haven't received immense material success, conference organizers
might consider inviting fewer celebrities and spreading the wealth more evenly,
by shining the spotlight on some authors who've written wonderful books for
years but whose names are not immediately recognized?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Involve</b> us
initially as well as finally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's one thing to invite a "diverse" speaker (or,
better still, many such speakers). It's another - and equally important thing <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>- to involve diverse people when planning an
event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Introduce</b> us
the way we'd like, please? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before a talk, teachers usually introduce me as Padma. Although,
for the most part, I don't care about titles, when I'm visiting schools, I like
to have students address me as 'Dr. Venkatraman' - and yes, they can pronounce
my name, it's not that hard! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why 'doctor'? Because then, they're acknowledging that a woman
of color could be a scientist as well as an author. And unfortunately, even
today, students generally assume that a "scientist" or a "Dr."
must be a white male.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Often, we make
assumptions about gender and so much else, as soon as we're introduced to
someone. It might help a little if, when an author visits, you ask what they
feel is important to emphasize (or de-emphasize) when you introduce them, as
well as how they'd like to be addressed (titles and pronouns)? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Inquire</b> (without
condescension, if possible).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a talk, ask questions. Ask plenty of questions. But do
try, and encourage students to try, to word questions thoughtfully. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love to help people understand my background, even when adults
ask questions like "Is it true Hindus burn widows?" or "Why is
your culture so primitive that it treats women like dirt?" I'd rather be
asked questions than have someone remain silent because they're scared they'll
say something inadvertently insensitive.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But of course, I prefer questions that aren't phrased
offensively. One way to avoid this, especially when preparing students to meet
authors from a 'different' cultural/ethnic background, is to try and avoid
other-ing them. For example, if you are studying a book that shows gender
violence in another country, rather than focus merely on this 'strange' culture
in which such cruelty is perpetrated, spend at least a wee bit of time
reflecting on gender inequities that remain/continue in our own time and place.
And, spend time researching, to show that this culture has, as indeed every
culture has, led the world in some way, at some point. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It might also be worth pointing out the obvious: within
every culture, at every time, there are instances of power abuse; there are also,
always, everywhere, people who are inclusive and compassionate. Understanding
and acceptance aren't 'modern' values, although they do wax and wane, and are more
obvious or blatant, perhaps, during certain periods in certain cultures. And if
your students do end up asking awkward questions - that's fine. We're here for
them. Any question is better than no question.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Include</b> as
many as possible in conversation.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Usually, we (author colleagues) gather together in happy clutches
at events. But I've also witnessed (and probably sometimes caused) exclusion.
Try not to shut out anyone, either through body language or through
conversation topics that they can't relate to. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our conversations reflect our assumptions; our assumptions
reflect our privileges. Once, a group of authors (of whom I was part),
discussed labor and having a biological child in the presence of a mother who'd
adopted a child and statements were made that suggested that biological mothers
were "real mothers." I'm not saying you mustn't converse about
religion or politics or your private life or your successes and failures. Just,
if you see someone feeling left out, try and reach out? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Indulge</b>
yourself less, and have the courage to shut up sometimes so others can talk. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently, author Jacqueline Davies offered to step down from
a panel to create a space for a more diverse voice. I'm not advocating that one
should or shouldn't do this or that based on who you feel you are - but I'd
like to say that I hope I have it in me to be as generous as Davies when I'm in
a position of privilege (because we are all, at one point or another, in
positions of privilege). </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">7. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Individuals</b>
come together to form groups; please respect and recognize our unique voices.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I've been mistaken for other Indian-American authors. We do
all have black hair (or mostly black, I've spotted a couple of not-so-black
ones sprouting on my head recently). If you're one of those who called me
Jhumpa Lahiri, don't worry, I love pretending I won the Pulitzer. But I don't
think we look alike. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nor do we all, within a given group, share the same views. Not
having grown up in this country, having an accent that clearly delineates me as
'alien' and being a first-generation immigrant - all this gives rise to
barriers<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>- and so my experience differs from
authors who grew up in the United States but who're also South Asian. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adding diversity to your conference (or bookshelf) doesn't
mean just having one author from each "category" you can think of. It
means listening to - and learning about - and loving - individual voices, which
differ within race, within gender, within every label that can be used to group
people. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-45361896483326278992016-07-31T11:39:00.003-04:002016-07-31T11:52:53.319-04:00Books are more than mirrors or windows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Diverse books, we often hear, are mirrors in which readers may see themselves reflected; or windows through which readers may glimpse differences.<br />
I understand and respect these metaphors. But to me, books are neither mirrors nor windows. They are the keys to much, much more. To something broader and deeper than just recognizing oneself or peeking at someone else.<br />
They are much more, as I have repeatedly said in my talks for some years now, and most recently mentioned at ALA and then at Oakland University.<br />
They are a magical means of transport, transcendence and transformation.<br />
When you read a wonderful book, you never see yourself. You may see someone similar, perhaps, someone who resembles you a little, outwardly or inwardly, but that's just superficial.<br />
Your soul shouldn't be standing still when you read - your soul should move.<br />
When you read a marvelous book, you don't just peer through a window. Words touch you, grip you, and don't let go of you.<br />
Your senses - all your senses are captive. Your body is consumed. You are on a glorious voyage, a voyage of the imagination, a voyage of thought, a voyage of love.<br />
You enter the hearts and minds of characters. You live another life for a while. You see through their eyes. You feel how they they feel. You breathe with them and they breathe through you.<br />
You don't just inhabit the protagonist's world, you inhabit the protagonist's soul.<br />
And when you return from the book to your own world, your reality will have changed. You shall be changed.<br />
You will be more compassionate, more empathetic.<br />
That's why I write.<br />
Not to teach, because books aren't teaching tools. But they are learning tools, nonetheless.<br />
Through a book, you learn. Not learning in the sense of gaining knowledge, but the truest, deepest way to learn, which is to understand difference, to be - not just with but actually be - someone else for a time, and through this to grow.<br />
A good book shows you what love is. It is a tool fashioned by the most beautiful human impulse - compassion.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-3659187122749622122016-06-22T21:41:00.000-04:002016-06-22T21:41:10.933-04:00On the Nerdy Website!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Delighted and so deeply honored to be featured by the Nerdy Book Club: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/sailing-oceans-of-story-by-padma-venkatraman/<a href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/sailing-oceans-of-story-by-padma-venkatraman/" target="_blank">https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/sailing-oceans-of-story-by-padma-venkatraman/</a><br />
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-9926902103166989772016-05-02T13:33:00.002-04:002016-05-02T13:33:57.143-04:00Hearing Voices <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At the NESCBWI writing conference, I did a whopping 3 workshops, all on one day. Some highlights below.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I rather intensely dislike all things electronic, so I admit I don't blog, tweet, fb, link in, etc. etc. as much as I ought, but something I love intensely is to be able to help other writers out, in real life, in the flesh, in person. And I feel so happy and grateful every time I get the chance to do this, as I did, this weekend, at NE SCBWI. </span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Every time I see someone out there whose eyes are so hopeful, someone I am able to reach out to, some aspiring writer whom I can assist in some small way, it makes me feel more alive, more grounded, and more inspired. I felt like I was able to give a lot more than my usual number of short pep talks to as yet unpublished writers during the past three days, and this alone, if nothing else, made me happier than I can express.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Below are a few points from the workshop I did on "voice" - along with a list of books I recommended. There are so many marvelous examples of voice, though, so this is just an eclectic list of what popped into my mind as I was planning my talk. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Voice, to me, is flavor. It's not about accurately reproducing the way someone speaks (I know no one who speaks with the fluidity of a written voice); it's about effectively conveying insights into characters, about capturing time and place in a manner that's unique. Each writer, each character has a voice that is - or should - reflect their individuality. Listen all you can - but learn, don't try to repeat what you've heard precisely on the page. To me, it's a little like making tea. Your first draft probably contains all the elements of voice, but just as you need to toss out the teabag once the flavor's steeped into the water, you need to cut away words/phrases/sentences/paragraphs that don't fit the voice you've chosen for your story. Voice is choice. Voice influences, but doesn't dictate subject matter. Literary novels are often written in lyrical voices (whether they're lush and rich or lean and spare) and a literary voice pairs well with quieter novels. That doesn't mean, of course, a literary novel cannot have a lot of action. I remember how surprised - and thrilled - I was when one of the starred reviews of ISLAND'S END referred to its "heart-stopping action" !</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Novels I referred to during my talk, including my own:</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Realistic/Contemporary: Speak, What Jamie Saw, Maniac McGee, A Time to Dance, all Sarah Pennypacker's Clementine books, Paula Danzider's Amber Brown books</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Fairytale/Fablelike Voice: The Underneath, Island's End, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Wind in the Willows, The House at Pooh Corner</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Fantasies rich in detail: Inkheart, Tuck Everlasting, Redwall, Eragon, The Lord of the Rings, The Narnia Series</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Literary Sci-fi: The House of the Scorpion, The Giver, Flowers for Algernon</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Historical Fiction: Climbing the Stairs, Chains, Elijah of Buxton, Daughter of Venice Catherine, Called Birdy, The Gift of Sarah Baker, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Nonfiction: Most Dangerous, Symphony for the city of the dead, Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam and the Science of Ocean Motion, Feathers: Not Just for Flying</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Verse novels set outside the United States that Holly Thompson and I referred to in our session: </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Helen Frost's The Braid, Meg Wivott's Paper Hearts, Mariko Nagai's Dust of Eden, Maria Testa's Something about America, Joyce Lee Wong's Seeing Emily, Steve Herrick's By the River, Andrea Davis Pinkney's The Red Pencil, Terry Farish's The Good Braider, Stephanie Hemphill's Sisters of Glass, Dana Walrath's Like Water on Stone, Margarita Engle's The Poet Slave of Cuba and Enchanted Air, Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu's Somewhere Among, Sarah Crossan's The Weight of Water, Thanha Lai's Inside Out and Back Again, Leza Lowitz's Up from the Sea, Melanie Crowder's Audacity, Skila Brown's Caminar, Jennifer Roy's Yellow Star, Marilyn Hilton's Full Cicada Moon, Juan Felipe Herrera's Downtown Boy, Ching Yeung Russel's Tofu Quilt, Holly Thompson's Falling Into the Dragon's Mouth, Orchards, and the Language Inside, and of course, my A TIME TO</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> DANCE.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Novels featuring characters with disabilities that Amitha Knight, Carrie Banks and I mentioned during our session: A Time to Dance, of course, and Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman, Tending to Grace by Kimberley Newton Fusco, Me and Rupert Goody by Barbara O'Connor, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, El Deafo by Cece Bell, The Memory of Light by Francisco Stork, Rogue by Lynn Miller Lachmann, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">When Reason Breaks by Cindy Rodriguez,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">on the Edge of Gone by Corrine Duyvis. A nonfiction title that we mentioned was Including the Families of Children with Special Needs by Carrie Banks. </span></div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-539054620205050782016-04-19T10:52:00.003-04:002016-04-19T10:52:39.563-04:00Tolerance versus Acceptance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At a recent panel discussion with wonderful authors Dana Levy and Susan Ross, I spoke about tolerance versus acceptance. I've started writing an essay on this topic, but here are some quick thoughts:<br />
<br />
We often expound on the virtues of tolerance, but really, don't we want to do more than merely "tolerate" those whom we deem to be different from us in some way or another? To tolerate someone implies that we're irritated by them or that we dislike their views - but despite this deep-rooted sense that they aren't quite right, we do our best to co-exist with them. It's a live and let-live policy.<br />
<br />
To accept someone is to embrace them - or at least to warmly shake hands with them - although we mayn't agree with them. Acceptance implies equality. I think that if we're truly to promote diverse books, we need to accept one another, taking a step or two beyond mere tolerance.<br />
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At a workshop later, I also mentioned diverse books that I've read and enjoyed. In some cases, I can't judge authenticity; all I can say is that I liked them. I also mentioned some websites that I think serve as extremely useful resources: <a href="http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog</a>; <a href="http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deb Reese's Blog</a>; <a href="https://www.primarysource.org/" target="_blank">The Primary Source Website</a>, <a href="https://www.wdl.org/en/" target="_blank">The Global Library</a>; <a href="http://disabilityinkidlit.com/" target="_blank">Disability in Kid's Lit</a>, and of course, the <a href="http://diversebooks.org/" target="_blank">We Need Diverse Books </a>website. The books I mentioned were:<br />
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Novels on the Disability Experience: </div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
The Sound of All Things</div>
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Out of My Mind</div>
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The Black Book of Colors</div>
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Challenger Deep</div>
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The War That Saved My Life</div>
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Me and Rupert Goody</div>
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Tending to Grace</div>
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On the Edge of Reason</div>
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El Deafo - a marvelous</div>
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graphic novel </div>
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Authors writing from outside a culture:</div>
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The Language Inside</div>
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A Path of Stars</div>
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The Good Braider</div>
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22 cents: The Story of Mohammed Younis</div>
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The Red Pencil</div>
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Many Stones</div>
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<br /></div>
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Authors writing about their cultures and diversity within a culture:</div>
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First Nations - Joseph Bruchac, Deb Reese, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Shonto Begay</div>
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Cuban-American - Margarita Engle, Alma Ada Flor, Richard Blanco</div>
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African-American Authors whose work is remarkable but for some reason don't seem to be read as widely and as often as I'd expect: Brenda Woods, Nikki Grimes, Marilyn Nelson (despite a Newberry and a National Book Award, her amazing work for children and young adults seems relatively unknown)</div>
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Intersectionality: When Reason Breaks, God Loves Hair, The Memory of Light</div>
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Global Narratives: Tofu Quilt, Little Green, Yellow Star, Like Water on Stone, Dust of Eden</div>
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-6162890198291403302015-11-22T17:50:00.000-05:002015-11-22T17:51:10.675-05:00Words, white space and spirituality - the landscape of music, mathematics and language<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A Poem<br />
is not words<br />
but spaces soaring<br />
inwards in between.<br />
Language<br />
is numbers heard<br />
equations sung aloud<br />
word patterns<br />
soft or bright<br />
the topography of sound<br />
A poem is as numbers are<br />
determined by mutual distance<br />
beats<br />
stop-start-pause rhythms<br />
of speech, sound, hearts.<br />
A poem is faith<br />
in blank spaces<br />
where God unbounded<br />
by religion abides.<br />
A poem is trust<br />
in emptiness growing<br />
revealing infinity<br />
within the confines<br />
of a line segment.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjl3cTF5KHfzuaR-KzZ6fDB6jqAdRxTQvWR2wgPKCU95rALVlCyNMY4PRLYdcrbwyCn1DcJyZaIpOlpndt4JKF6gPJbAifELBkjl-Hw5El31g2CkOJTrn5JzQwlyKFt7t0ewlCQ/s1600/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjl3cTF5KHfzuaR-KzZ6fDB6jqAdRxTQvWR2wgPKCU95rALVlCyNMY4PRLYdcrbwyCn1DcJyZaIpOlpndt4JKF6gPJbAifELBkjl-Hw5El31g2CkOJTrn5JzQwlyKFt7t0ewlCQ/s320/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
Thanks so much to Steven Bickmore, Kelly Bully, Evelyn Spratt for inviting me and Dana Walrath to do the keynote; to my brilliant editor Nancy Paulsen and the team at Penguin, Alexis, Venessa, Carmela, Talia, and Julie and everyone else for their support. I found this 2-3 year old poem draft and thought it captured some of what I said about wordlessness in verse being especially suitable for spirituality not confined to any particular religion yesterday morning at NCTE. Much of this I'd said before as well, in many other places where I've spoken ever since I started writing a time to dance. Yesterday, I also mentioned the magical duality of difference and universality that a good book encompasses, and of my realization several years ago of the connection between words and numbers: Mathematics, everyone acknowledges is music. And language, at its best, sings. I will say, in the poem above, if you are an atheist, do feel free to spell God with two O's - God to me is the power of Goodness as much as it is anything else. How wonderful to be invited to speak at NCTE about A TIME TO DANCE!</div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-80004510800610892962015-08-03T10:41:00.000-04:002016-05-02T12:07:39.821-04:00A TIME TO DANCE Author Events<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOY-eDgDbtjxZR55oS631bhYwBa28Kx7ZNwfuCLBpPlDibc4nYdDcO4wKdbDg4sDBiNtCnDprOoeAAHXkYm3B0wXBmSlxO_RRb39COZPQGJ8DpM2L9fTowX7xGXNFoqiB6e6D1g/s1600/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOY-eDgDbtjxZR55oS631bhYwBa28Kx7ZNwfuCLBpPlDibc4nYdDcO4wKdbDg4sDBiNtCnDprOoeAAHXkYm3B0wXBmSlxO_RRb39COZPQGJ8DpM2L9fTowX7xGXNFoqiB6e6D1g/s1600/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: x-small;">ISBN # 978-0-399-25710-0</span><br />
<h2>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="font-size: large;">Released to <b>5 stars</b>: </span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">*Kirkus, Starred review </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">*Booklist, Starred review </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">*VOYA, Starred review *BCCB, Starred review </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a;">*SLJ, Starred review </span></span></h2>
<div>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: small;">Booklist Top 10 art bk of the year; Forever Literary Top 10 Character Driven Books; Kirkus Best Books for Teens; Booklist Editor's Choice Best Books of 2014; New York Public Library Top 25; IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities; 25 Books by Women to Diversify your Shelves; Indiebound Summer selection...</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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A TIME TO DANCE received marvelous reviews in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, the Denver Post and the Providence Journal, plus rave reviews online. Excerpts from reviews are provided in another post on this blog. Below, I list several author events (outside of school visits) that<br />
I'm pleased to be doing, to most of which everyone is welcome.Some, however, are closed to the public, so please check.<br />
<br />
In 2016:<br />
<br />
April<br />
- Sat, Apr 2, library, Derry, NH<br />
- Tues, Apr 5, library, Camden, ME<br />
- Thurs, Apr 7, RRU, Augusta ME<br />
- Sat, Apr 9, Cape Elizabeth Author Fest, ME<br />
- Fri-Sun, Apr 29-May1, <a href="https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1765815" target="_blank">NESCBWI</a>, Springfield, MA<br />
<br />
May<br />
-Mon-Wed, May 23-25, <a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Highlights Foundation Workshop,</a> PA<br />
<br />
June<br />
- Sat, 4 June, Verse Novel Workshop, <a href="http://www.thewritersloft.org/" target="_blank">The Writer's Loft</a>, MA<br />
- Thurs-Fri, June 23-24 <a href="http://web.uri.edu/summerwriting/" target="_blank">Ocean State Summer Writing Conference</a>, RI<br />
- Sat, June 25, ALA conference, FL<br />
<br />
July<br />
- Sun, Jul 10, ILA, Boston<br />
- Tues, Jul 12, library, Avon, CT<br />
<br />
Fall<br />
- Fri-Sun 14-16 Oct, <a href="http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/" target="_blank">James River Festival</a>, VA </div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
In 2015:<br />
- Wed 4 Feb, Pratt Institute, NY (private lecture for class, not open to the public)<br />
- Thurs 12- Thurs 19 Mar, Hong Kong Youth Literary Festival, Hong Kong, China<br />
- Fri/Sat 19/20 Mar, Salve Regina University, March into Reading, Newport, RI<br />
- Fri/Sat/Sun 24-26 Apr, NESCBWI, Springfield, MA<br />
- Thurs 14 May 3:30-7:30 Diversity Now, Boston Public Library, Copely Square, Boston, MA<br />
- Thurs 18 - Sat 20 June OSSWC, Kingston, URI<br />
- Wed 8 July, KQL International, CCSU, CT<br />
- Sat 25 July, Writing Workshop, Tomaquaq museum, Exeter, RI<br />
- Sat 19 Sept, 1:00 p.m., Diversity Discussion, Eric Carle Museum, MA<br />
- Fri-Sun 16-18 Oct, USBBY, IBBY, New York, NY<br />
- Fri 31 Oct, NEATE, Mansfield, MA<br />
- Sat 22 Nov, NCTE, Minneapolis, MN<br />
<br />
In 2014:<br />
<br />
April in the Caribbean<br />
- Keynote address at Beach Pen Literary Festival<br />
<br />
May in RI, CT</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 1:00 p.m. Saturday 10 May, Tomaquag Museum, Exeter, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 4:00 p.m. Saturday 17 May, Books on the Square, Providence, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 3:00-5:00 Sunday 18 May, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
June in RI, NY, DC, MD</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 1:30-3:30 Tuesday 3 June, Coastal Institute Bookstore, GSO, Narragansett, RI </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 11:00-4:00 Saturday 7 June, Curiosity and Mischief, Narragansett Pier, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 1:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday 14, June Wakefield Books, Wakefield Mall, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 7:00 p.m. Monday 16, June Willett Free Library, Saunderstown, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 19th-21st June, Ocean State Summer Writing Conference, URI, Kingston, RI* </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, 24 June Books of Wonder, New York, NY</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, 25 June Politics and Prose, Washington DC</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 2:30-4:30 p.m., Saturday 28 June, Govan's Branch, Enoch Pratt Library, Baltimore, MD</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
July in MA</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 10:00-12:00, Saturday 19 June, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA<br />
- 6:00 p.m., Monday 21 July, Robbins Public Library, Arlington, MA<br />
<br />
July in RI<br />
- 9:00 - 12:30, Wednesday 23 July, Tomaquag museum, Exeter, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 2:30-5:30, Sunday 27 July, Symposium Books, East Greenwich, RI<br />
<br />
August in CA<br />
- 7:00 p.m. Friday 15 August, Books Inc., Mountain View, CA<br />
- 2:00 - 4:30, Saturday 16 August, Saratoga Public Library, CA<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Sept in RI, MD, VA<br />
- 26-28 Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore, MD</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 6:00 p.m., Sunday 14 September, Authors on Main, Wakefield, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 18 September, Bookworm Central, Manassas, VA</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
October in RI, CT, MA</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- Sunday 5 October, Island Books, Middletown, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday 7 October, RWU, Bristol, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- Fri-Sat 17-18 October, Lincoln School, Providence, RI</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- Sun-Mon 19-20 October, NELA, Boxborough, MA</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
November in RI, MA</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- 2:00 p.m., Saturday 8 November, Davisville Free Library, Davisville, RI<br />
- Harvard University (invited class lecture, not open to the public)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
- Fri-Sun 21-23 November, NCSS, Boston, MA<br />
<br />
December in NY<br />
- 6:00 p.m., Wed 10 December, New York Public Library, NY (words without borders)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br clear="all" />
<div>
*I'm doing a workshop on writing YA novels at URI's Ocean State Summer Writing conference, so do register if you'd like to do a writing workshop with me : <a href="http://www.uri.edu/summerwriting/2014/index.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.uri.edu/<wbr></wbr>summerwriting/2014/index.html</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-29199283370126201612015-08-01T10:20:00.000-04:002016-07-05T23:27:46.376-04:00A TIME TO DANCE released to STARRED reviews in 5 journals - and more!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
FIVE STARS FOR A TIME TO DANCE</div>
<br />
Thrilled to announce the release of my third novel, A TIME TO DANCE (Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House) to starred reviews in 5 journals: Kirkus, Booklist, VOYA , BCCB and SLJ, as well as an IndieBound citation and marvelous reviews online and in major newspapers!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Byk7M_O9W5dQbjjYNu9JYOXMjMHwyrWtHtKyKz2DsRH3yZSflww6I57i8psWmPfiT510cLXZiHilcdWRoQAcatwmuUgMtJJG8Zh-T5PRK_ZRPq4V6htlHYsz6hbw7AwOtLBKHw/s1600/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Byk7M_O9W5dQbjjYNu9JYOXMjMHwyrWtHtKyKz2DsRH3yZSflww6I57i8psWmPfiT510cLXZiHilcdWRoQAcatwmuUgMtJJG8Zh-T5PRK_ZRPq4V6htlHYsz6hbw7AwOtLBKHw/s1600/a+time+to+dance+cover+-+large+file.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">ISBN #:</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">978-0-399-25710-0</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">National Book Award Winner</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">, <a href="http://www.gloriawhelan.com/" target="_blank">Gloria Whelan</a>: </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">With words that move with grace and elegance …</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">In poetic imagery as graceful as Veda’s dancing, Venkatraman has drawn a vivid picture of contemporary India, and given a gift of faith and hope to all who</span><span style="color: #00006d; font-family: "arial";">,</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">like Veda, find their dream slipping away.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">* Kirkus, </span></b><b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/padma-venkatraman/a-time-to-dance-venkatraman/" target="_blank">STARRED Review</a>: </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Flowing free verse tells the story of a teenage dancer in Chennai,
India, who loses a leg and re-learns how to dance…. Venkatraman weaves together
several themes so elegantly that they become one... The fluid first-person
verse uses figurative speech sparingly, so when it appears … it packs a punch.
Veda’s no disabled saint; awkwardness and jealousy receive spot-on portrayals…A
beautiful integration of art, religion, compassion and connection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">* Booklist, STARRED
Review:</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";">In
Venkatraman’s delectably scented, sensual world, lyrically told through verse
and through Veda, life is illuminated as a beautiful celebration of doing what
comes naturally, as best as one is able. Veda's awakening of her gift
throughout her altered body and revolutionary prosthesis provides a spiritually
uplifting premise. …The acclaimed author of </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Climbing the Stairs </i><span style="font-family: "arial";">(2008),
Venkatraman deftly shapes readers’ comprehension of physical ability into a new
arc of understanding. To even have a passing thought that Veda is </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">dis</i><span style="font-family: "arial";">abled,
rather than differently-abled, would be utter madness.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*
VOYA, </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Starred<span style="color: #1a1a1a;">
review</span></span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">"...The descriptions of contemporary India are beautiful and
Venkatraman weaves images so divine that you can see the statues of Shiva, hear
the ankle bells in the bharatanatyam dance, and smell the acrid scent of burnt
rubber from the accident. Told in verse, this story is magnificently strong as
Veda’s determination dances off the page and into the reader’s heart."</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*
SLJ, <a href="http://www.slj.com/2014/04/reviews/grades-5-up/new-books-by-megan-frazer-blakemore-charles-de-lint-margi-preus-grades-5-8-fiction-review/#_" target="_blank">Starred review</a>:</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">"...This exceptional novel, told entirely in verse, captures
beautifully the emotions of a girl forced to deal with a number of challenges
and how she overcomes them on her way to becoming a confident young woman...It is sure to appeal..."</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><b>Horn Book</b>: "Brief lines, powerful images, and motifs of sound communicate Veda's difficult struggle"</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://nextgen.yourhub.com/article/time-dance" target="_blank">Denver Post</a></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">:</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">“...'A
Time to Dance' by Padma Venkatraman is a great read ... It is sure to go on my 'Favorite Books' list. This book will definitely
dance its way through your heart as it did mine."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/books/chi-we-were-liars-time-to-dance-last-forever-young-20140516,0,5373452.story" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a></b>: </span><span style="color: #1f1d1d; font-family: "arial";">“powerful depiction of a teen girl struggling to recover from an accident propels Padma Venkatraman's "A Time to Dance," a novel-in-verse… Venkatraman poignantly illustrates the break between Veda's old life and new…”</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://litup-review.com/a-time-to-dance-by-padma-venkatraman/" target="_blank">LitUp Reviews</a></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">Every book I read leaves me with some kind of impression… it is
rarer for me to finish a book and feel struck with a sense of utter beauty.
Going beyond gorgeous prose, the novels that make me feel this way tell tales
with rich settings and vivid emotions. </span><i style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial;">A Time to Dance</i><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"> is one of these
books, and every aspect shines... Venkatraman does not try to convert readers
to any religion, but she weaves spirituality into Veda’s journey to recovery,
making it an integral and fascinating part of the character…Watching Veda
decide what her Hinduism means to her and discover that dance can be spiritual
rather than cutthroat can only be described as magical.
Venkatraman
accompanies her intricate dance of a plot with rhythmic writing that flows as
mellifluously as music, perfectly accompanying the story’s subject matter…The
beat created by the broken lines makes the words feel like effortless footwork…readers
who like multicultural stories, lyrical verse, or tales about people gaining
strength from tragedies have to read this book.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://long-island.newsday.com/kids/kidsday/book-reviews-rump-and-more-1.8614683">Newsday</a>: "I loved this book. It transported me into Veda's life. Being a dancer myself, I was able to feel her struggle...This book is like a love story, tragedy and spiritual read all at once."</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.providencejournal.com/features/entertainment/books/20140629-book-review-a-dancers-struggle-set-against-sights-sounds-of-india.ece">providencejournal.com</a> reviewed A TIME TO DANCE twice. Sam Coale (Wheaton Professor) calls it a: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010101; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">beautifully written novel novel...heartbreaking tale...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #010101; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Venkatraman has created a rich, exotic and fully human world that dazzles and delights. Her way with prose reflects Veda’s with dancing: “Nothing else fills me with as much elation as chasing down soaring music.” This novel accomplishes exactly that." </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #010101; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Another review, by </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">Kathleen Odean (also in the </span><a href="http://www.providencejournal.com/features/entertainment/books/20140831-young-readers-new-ways-to-see-the-world.ece" style="font-family: Arial;">ProJo</a>) says: "beautifully written...lyrical and compelling"<br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">Summer 2014 <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/kids-indie-next-list?edition=201405k" target="_blank">IndieNext list</a>: </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 12pt;">This beautiful book,
written in verse, follows the life of a young girl who loves to dance. The
struggles caused by her traditional Indian family's disapproval of her passion
are compounded when disaster strikes and she loses a leg in a car accident. For
anyone looking to be uplifted and inspired, this stunningly lyrical novel comes
highly recommended!”
—Danica Ram, Townie Books, Crested Butte, CO</span><br />
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-time-to-dance-by-padma.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">thehidingspot.blogspot.com</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">This site has a video showing Bharatanatyam, in addition to a lovely review: "</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Told entirely in verse, this exploration of faith, resilience, and traditional Indian dance will surely inspire readers to reach for their dreams, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles...</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Venkatraman does a phenomenal job of describing the different poses and stances that Veda must learn to remaster after her accident...</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">A Time to Dance</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"> shouldn't be missed. "</span></span></h4>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">Quercus, <a href="http://www.windingoak.com/zine/reading-ahead/2014/04/a-time-to-dance/" target="_blank">Winding Oak</a>: It's</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> a book about many things: faith, friendship, family, young love, strength of conviction, feelings that rollercoaster realistically from despair to leaping joy. The sensory details pulled me deeply into the story as only a master storyteller can. </span><em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">A Time to Dance</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">is set in India and Shiva is at the center of Veda’s faith. By accompanying Veda on her journey, we can’t help but look at our own beliefs, our strengths, the areas in which we can make higher leaps, learning to bring the audience in our lives to tears because we have expressed understanding and compassion.</span><br />
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As with all of Ms. Venkatraman’s books, I closed the covers reluctantly, knowing that <em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">A Time to Dance</em> is a book that has become a part of me, one I will always remember.<br />
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<a href="http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com/2014/06/48hbc-review-time-to-dance.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">In Bed with Books</a>: <span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "arimo"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Veda is a compelling heroine who undergoes a complicated personal journey, and Venkatraman's writing is gorgeous. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/a-time-to-dance">Teenreads.com</a>: "<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5;">the spare writing adds so many layers of complexity and meaning with so few words. Throughout this verse novel, the voice is perfectly honest: the story never shies away from the most challenging or humiliating moments of Veda’s recovery, but it shows Veda’s darkest moments without losing its optimistic core. Veda’s relationships with her family and friends are authentically complicated, with every teenage mishap and embarrassment presented in its own unique context. The detail-rich setting creates a precise and interesting window into life in modern India without being heavy-handed. Most significantly, Veda’s tenacity, determination and growing spirituality are inspiring, as are the stories of other dancing amputees mentioned in the novel.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5;">But the novel isn’t just about being a teenage, dancing, Indian amputee. It’s about being a daughter and a granddaughter, a student and a teacher, a friend and (perhaps!) a girlfriend; and it’s about finding inner stillness through outward motion. At its heart, A TIME TO DANCE explores what it means to lose what you love most, and regain it again when you and it have changed for the better."</span></div>
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<a href="http://propernounblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/the-difference-a-prosthetic-can-make/">propernoun.wordpress.com</a> wrote an inspiring and moving piece <b>"<span style="font-family: "garamond" , "hoefler text" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">I am well aware that if I had been born in a different time or place my life would not be what it is...</span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , "hoefler text" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">When I read stories like </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: Garamond, 'Hoefler Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Time to Dance</em><span style="font-family: "garamond" , "hoefler text" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">, I am reminded of how powerful access to prosthetics can be, how it can truly change people’s lives."</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.reading.org/reading-today/post/books/2014/06/09/books-about-embracing-disabilities-and-differences#.U5y9HRa4IHh" style="background-color: transparent;">reading.org</a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial";"> recommends it as a book about embracing disabilities and differences: "...a </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">s</span><span style="font-family: "lato";">tory of India, of smells and scents, of dance and determination...(Veda's) struggle takes her to a new place within herself with an awakening about who she is and the future ahead."</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://theabsolutemag.com/13968/">http://theabsolutemag.com/13968/</a> "a powerful and inspiring story ... Using riveting verse, Venkatraman shows how dance can help lost souls find healing and re-connect with their passion for life...Even if you have never taken a dance class before, thanks to Venkatraman's poetic writing, you too will walk away from this novel with a new appreciation for spirituality, culture and the triumph of the human spirit."<br />
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<a href="http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-time-to-dance-by-padma.html">iheartyafiction.blogspot.com</a> gave it 5 hearts: "Told entirely in verse, this exploration of faith, resilience, and traditional Indian dance will surely inspire readers to reach for their dreams, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles...easily one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read. I love the verse/writing and the sheer beauty of the setting and characters. It's simply stunning....From the beginning, the writing in this is so beautiful...I really like free verse novels, and this one blew me out of the water. A Time to Dance manages to convey so much depth, detail, and richness into small passages that left me in awe....Veda's character is incredible. Her emotions are so raw and real, and her bravery and strength inspiring. I love the growth she has in finding her peace with her new situation mixed with wonderful details about her culture and how religion often ties into their dance. The chemistry between her and Govinda is so intensely smoldering and their primary physical contact is just in dance (as opposed to intense make out sessions and such)...Overall, I can't recommend this one enough. It's beautiful, insightful, and it's a brilliant read.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial";">Edelweiss Team (</span><b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial;">Indiebound</b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial";">): </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial";">Highly recommended…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">A new novel from
Padma Venkatraman always moves to the top of the reading list… this moving
novel shows how completely "dance can let you enter another world,” …
captures the spirit of love not just of dance but how each of her well drawn
characters care for each other.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrJKcYvCYG9axdftJEOgW8Gu0nMgXSN8C210sy4CPbPy5_3fwNOkkpQB5vU7FzgJpe63ubd-RAn5ciipS-sTUG7yqRj2n2joEYuRLEPRj6iX8kqGyR9t9dKmQaMiOVq6bPexUAQ/s1600/ATDbklistwebpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrJKcYvCYG9axdftJEOgW8Gu0nMgXSN8C210sy4CPbPy5_3fwNOkkpQB5vU7FzgJpe63ubd-RAn5ciipS-sTUG7yqRj2n2joEYuRLEPRj6iX8kqGyR9t9dKmQaMiOVq6bPexUAQ/s1600/ATDbklistwebpg.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A TIME TO DANCE, * Booklist's Review of the Day, STARRED!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial";">Online, a gorgeous re-enactment of the cover: </span><a href="http://fyasummershowdown.tumblr.com/post/89093267647/fyasf-a-time-to-dance-3-gorg" style="font-family: Arial;">fyasummershowdown.tumblr.com</a></div>
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Wonderful citation as a Top 10 character driven book: <a href="http://foreverliterary.blogspot.com/2014/10/top-ten-character-driven-books.html?showComment=1412734447862" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://foreverliterary.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2014/10/top-ten-<wbr></wbr>character-driven-books.html?<wbr></wbr>showComment=1412734447862</a><br />
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A Booklist Top 10 art book for youth: <a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=7114818&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.booklistonline.com/<wbr></wbr>ProductInfo.aspx?pid=7114818&<wbr></wbr>AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1</a><br />
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Rabbit Readers Book Club: Stunning novel about spiritual awakening <a href="https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FGp8KXv6miV%3Ft%3D1%26cn%3DbWVudGlvbg%253D%253D%26sig%3D180d60d4e9d1912db372bf5c3df42b3a9bad7cc2%26al%3D1%26iid%3D7af019a704b648c582968b576550ee72%26autoactions%3D1414617920%26uid%3D20887809%26nid%3D4%2B1268&t=1&cn=bWVudGlvbg%3D%3D&sig=0d4b0a1e60ef6151eb88adfaa6353f168771c6bf&iid=7af019a704b648c582968b576550ee72&uid=20887809&nid=4+1268" style="border: none; color: #0084b4; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 27px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">rabbitreaders.com/3/post/2014/<wbr></wbr>10…</a><br />
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Children's Books Heal: <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "sintony" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">This is not a story about disability, but one of ability...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "sintony" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">This book is a treasure on my bookshelf.</span><a href="http://childrensbooksheal.com/2014/10/13/a-time-fo-dance/">http://childrensbooksheal.com/2014/10/13/a-time-fo-dance/</a><br />
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First Book called it a "seriously stellar book" and an "awesome title", listing it in an email blurb along with Kwame Alexander's The Crossover, John Green's Fault in Our Stars, Gary Soto's Novio and Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park. <a href="https://www.fbmarketplace.org/a-time-to-dance?utm_source=FBMP-+REVIEW+Teen+Read+Week&utm_campaign=Arjuna+B2S+titles+GPs&utm_medium=email">https://www.fbmarketplace.org/a-time-to-dance?utm_source=FBMP-+REVIEW+Teen+Read+Week&utm_campaign=Arjuna+B2S+titles+GPs&utm_medium=email</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , "tahoma" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">One of the most moving reviews of A TIME TO DANCE, by a blogger who is disabled, like Veda, and whose words about her own life are wonderfully inspiring, although she denies it. "I am well aware that if I had been born in a different time or place my life would not be what it is...When I read stories like A Time to Dance, I am reminded of how powerful access to prosthetics can be, how it can truly change people’s lives."</span><br />
<a href="http://propernounblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/the-difference-a-prosthetic-can-make/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://propernounblog.wordpress.com/…/the-difference-a-pro…/</a><br />
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An unexpected b'day gift - A TIME TO DANCE is the Calgary Public Library's pick of the month (Nov 2014): "...<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Veda perseveres and won't let her disability rob her of her passion to dance...</span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "tahoma" , "geneva" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">an inspiring story ... told lyrically through verse, which beautifully depicts her life as well as what it is like for a middle class family in India. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I found myself rooting for Veda and her passion to dance from the beginning right to the end. I related to every emotion that Veda felt throughout the entire novel..." </span><a href="http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blogs/teen-zone?p=4458#comments">http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blogs/teen-zone?p=4458#comments</a><br />
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http://childrensbooksheal.com/2014/10/13/a-time-fo-dance/ : "<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "sintony" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Padma Venkatraman has woven together a story about loss and resilience of a girl determined to dance once again her beloved</span><em style="border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Sintony, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Bharatanatyam. </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "sintony" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">This is not a story about disability, but one of ability. It is about finding the deeper spiritual meaning of the dance over the applause...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "sintony" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> I highly recommend this beautiful novel... This book is a treasure..."</span><br />
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<a href="https://thebookwars.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/verse-novel-review-a-time-to-dance-by-padma-venkatraman/">https://thebookwars.wordpress.com/2015/07/22/verse-novel-review-a-time-to-dance-by-padma-venkatraman/</a> Nafia Azad: "<em style="border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Time to Dance </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">is a wonderful reiteration of the beautifully diverse world we live in. It gives us a glimpse of a culture which may be foreign to us and opens for us lives rich with poetry, spirituality and determination. Everyone could benefit from any of these things. I strongly recommend this for your collection/library/pleasure.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.24carrotwriting.com/book-picks/a-time-to-dance-by-padma-venkatraman">http://www.24carrotwriting.com/book-picks/a-time-to-dance-by-padma-venkatraman</a>: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "amaranth"; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Padma Venkatraman’s “A Time to Dance”... carries your heart to emotional highs and lows ...</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "amaranth"; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">a captivating story of hope and renewal. I was eager to turn the pages, entranced by the characters and plot, but I also look forward to revisiting the book to savor each poem for its simplicity, beauty and poignancy...</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "amaranth"; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Venkatraman’s novel is a wonderful study in how to use ...well-chosen words ...that lift and carry the reader through their very own emotional arcs, while at the same time pulling the reader poem-by-poem through a greater story arc of character, plot and emotion.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "amaranth"; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://inksisterswrite.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-time-to-read.html#gpluscomments">http://inksisterswrite.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-time-to-read.html#gpluscomments</a></span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: 0.25999999046325684px; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: serif , serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: serif , serif; font-size: 13px;">The hum of Padma Venkatraman's verse started on page one...and I felt each word deeply...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: serif , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">So honored it's a staff pick by <a href="http://www.politics-prose.com/staff-pick/time-to-dance-padma-venkatraman" target="_blank">POLITICS AND PROSE</a>: "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lucida sans" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lucida sans" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Padma Venkatraman vividly portrays contemporary India with its traditions, religious diversity, and emphasis on family. Her use of free verse adds rich texture to the novel as it evokes the musical rhythm of the ancient South Indian dance form. - Mary Alice Garber"</span></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-59738452816420474972015-04-02T14:56:00.003-04:002015-04-02T14:56:43.135-04:00Reading from A TIME TO DANCE for Poetry Month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Honored that a middle school in San Antonio, Texas, started off Poetry Month with a marvelous reading of an excerpt from A TIME TO DANCE<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/NISDGarcia/status/583419559706628098" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>NISDGarcia/status/<wbr></wbr>583419559706628098</a></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-43030346547432196942015-03-29T16:30:00.000-04:002015-03-29T16:36:40.790-04:00Hong Kong Radio and Television Interview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Listen to a lovely radio interview by Noreen Mir at HKRT:<br />
<a href="http://app1.rthk.org.hk/special/bookmarks/interviews.php?id=315">http://app1.rthk.org.hk/special/bookmarks/interviews.php?id=315</a></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-4205384420112941752015-01-23T10:12:00.000-05:002015-03-27T11:17:19.020-04:00Awards for A TIME TO DANCE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKfeOrE-3fn2_TrwcG-IOkgh6vBFzHf4Zk_Ncw-T4cML4yrhyLh9-Kph0kkXXUXXjGbIuFrwwz1tDeI3mgkLtt8PV5wKJbcCnIiwceNGm8pTfjNe5-aykuwIhsf3dA8GgdAyIPQ/s1600/ATDCoverFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKfeOrE-3fn2_TrwcG-IOkgh6vBFzHf4Zk_Ncw-T4cML4yrhyLh9-Kph0kkXXUXXjGbIuFrwwz1tDeI3mgkLtt8PV5wKJbcCnIiwceNGm8pTfjNe5-aykuwIhsf3dA8GgdAyIPQ/s1600/ATDCoverFinal.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
Delighted to share the news that A TIME TO DANCE, which was released to 5 starred reviews (*Kirkus, *Booklist, *VOYA, *SLJ and *BCCB) is an ALA Notable Book!<br />
It has also been honored with other marvelous several awards and citations of many top of yr lists, listed in alphabetical order:<br />
* ALA Notable <a href="http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb">http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb</a><br />
* ALA/Yalsa Best Fiction <a href="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/2015-best-fiction-young-adults">http://www.ala.org/yalsa/2015-best-fiction-young-adults</a><br />
* Booklist Editor's Choice Best Books of the Year <a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/Booklist-Editors-Choice-Books-for-Youth-2014/pid=7275819">http://www.booklistonline.com/Booklist-Editors-Choice-Books-for-Youth-2014/pid=7275819</a><br />
* Booklist Top 10 art books for youth <a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Arts-Books-for-Youth-2014-Ilene-Cooper/pid=7114818">http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Arts-Books-for-Youth-2014-Ilene-Cooper/pid=7114818</a><br />
* CCBC Choices <a href="http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/CCBC_Choices_2015_list.pdf%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/CCBC_Choices_2015_list.pdf </a><br />
* CSML Best Book <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-the-Study-of-Multicultural-Childrens-Literature/238909969517173">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-the-Study-of-Multicultural-Childrens-Literature/238909969517173</a><br />
* IBBY OUTSTANDING books for young people with disabilities <a href="http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=271">http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=271</a><br />
* IRA Notable (NBGS) <a href="http://www.clrsig.org/pdfs/2015%20NBGS%20flyer.pdf">http://www.clrsig.org/pdfs/2015%20NBGS%20flyer.pdf</a><br />
* Kirkus Best Books of the Year <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2014/section/teen/?page=7">https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2014/section/teen/?page=7</a><br />
*New York Public Library Top 25 <a href="http://www.nypl.org/blog/2014/12/05/best-books-teens-year">http://www.nypl.org/blog/2014/12/05/best-books-teens-year</a><br />
* Forever Literary Top 10 Character Driven Books <a href="http://foreverliterary.blogspot.com/2014/10/top-ten-character-driven-books.html">http://foreverliterary.blogspot.com/2014/10/top-ten-character-driven-books.html</a><br />
* Mighty Girl Best Books 2014 <a href="http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=8480">http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=8480</a><br />
* 25 Books by Women to Diversify your Bookshelves <a href="http://www.bustle.com/articles/58594-25-books-by-women-to-help-diversify-your-bookshelves-and-expand-your-horizons-because-weneeddiversebooks">http://www.bustle.com/articles/58594-25-books-by-women-to-help-diversify-your-bookshelves-and-expand-your-horizons-because-weneeddiversebooks</a></div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-54562376058591544472014-07-31T12:09:00.000-04:002014-09-23T14:45:30.387-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My Process<br />
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Thanks to Betty Cotter for inviting me to take part in the My Writing Process Blog Tour! Betty is the author of two novels ROBERTA'S WOODS and THE WINTERS. ROBERTA'S WOODS<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em>is set in Rhode Island - in the near future. It's a prophetic take on what may happen quite soon in America; in fact, some of what's predicted in the novel is already happening. THE WINTERS draws us into the recent past, and provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a Rhode Island clan. You can read Betty's blog at <a href="http://swampyankeewoman.wordpress.com/">http://swampyankeewoman.wordpress.com</a></div>
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As part of this blog tour, I’ve been asked to answer the following questions:</div>
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1) What are you working on?<br />
At the moment, I'm in an ADD mode - working on several different projects: 2 novels for grown-ups, 2 novels for young adults, and a middle-grade (or younger) fantasy. I usually work this way for a while, waiting for a "voice" to grip me and possess me. At that point, I go from ADD to schizophrenic - I listen as well as I can to the voice, and at some point characters take me over and I feel like I can see a movie in my head, and that's when I know I'm in the writing "zone" and moving toward completion.</div>
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2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?<br />
I think one thread that has, thus far, run through my work, is that at some level, the protagonists of my three novels (A TIME TO DANCE, CLIMBING THE STAIRS and ISLAND'S END) all seek to understand their spirituality. In my debut novel (CLIMBING THE STAIRS), this is subtle; in A TIME TO DANCE, it is one of the central themes - after she loses a limb, the protagonist's understanding of life, love, compassion, and faith are deepened, through the power of her art. </div>
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3) Why do you write what you do?<br />
I had a childhood I wouldn't wish on anyone - and parts of my adult life have been rather awful as well. Books were my saving grace. So was writing. I write because I have to. I'd probably go insane if we were forbidden to write. I fell in love with words early on, and although I wandered off into the world of mathematics and science for a while, I'm at last doing what I truly love to do. Writing is my form of meditation, it's catharsis, it is me. </div>
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4) How does your writing process work?<br />
Given that I have a little one, I don't get large chunks of writing time. In summer I get no writing time at all, in fact. My family - my husband and my child - the family I have chosen to have - is my top priority. That said, I use whatever time I can to write. I keep a notebook with me at all times - even by my bed at night - to jot down sentences, phrases, paragraphs any time they come to me. I don't chase after stories - I wait for characters to appear. When they do, I open my mind to them, so they can haunt me, and, as I get to the final stages of a novel, they possess me utterly. That's the point at which my family sometimes has to drag me back to this world by literally shaking me. </div>
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Now for the three wonderful writers who'll be following me as part of the My Writing Process Blog Tour: </div>
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Kashmira Sheth, like me, is an Asian American author. She is the author of several critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for young adults (such as KEEPING CORNER) and middle-graders (such as BLUE JASMINE). This versatile woman also writes delightful picture books (such as TIGER IN MY SOUP). Kashmira blogs at <a href="http://kashmirasheth.com/blog/">http://kashmirasheth.com/blog/</a></div>
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Jody Lisberger's prize-winning fiction has appeared i<i>n Confrontation, Fugue, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Lousiville Review </i>and <i>Thema</i>. She is the author of Remember Love, a collection of "ten perfect tales" (the<i> Louisville Courier</i>) that are "first-rate" (the <i>Boston Globe</i>). She is on the faculty of the low-res MFA writing program at Spalding University and blogs at <a href="http://jodylis.wordpress.com/">http://jodylis.wordpress.com</a></div>
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Rachel May blogs at <a href="http://www.quiltingwithamodernslant.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">www.quiltingwithamodernslant.<wbr></wbr>com</a>. She is the author of QUILITING WITH A MODERN SLANT, which has been hailed as "an encyclopedia of modern quilting" (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>). I'm not good - at all - at any kind of craft, but, May's book (which received a starred review from the <i>Library Journal</i>) is one that "nonquilters...will enjoy" (the <i>Chicago Tribune</i>), for sure!</div>
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And, if you'd like to know more about me and my process, here below are a few bloggers who were, recently, kind enough to do wonderful interviews about A TIME TO DANCE:<br />
- <a href="http://www.diversityinya.com/2014/05/five-things-i-learned-while-writing-a-time-to-dance/" target="_blank">www.diversityinya.com</a><br />
- <a href="http://umakrishnaswami.org/2014/08/20/process-talk-padma-venkatraman-on-a-time-to-dance/" target="_blank">umakrishnaswami.org</a><br />
- <a href="http://how-to-write-a-book.com/padma-venkatraman-advises-writers-dont-hurry-publish/" target="_blank">how-to-write-a-book.com</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.sandrabornstein.com/q-padma-venkatraman/" target="_blank">www.sandrabornstein.com</a><br />
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Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26194192.post-55265872126428490642014-02-18T10:44:00.000-05:002016-04-21T13:56:52.542-04:00South Asian Authors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There appears to be a misconception that there aren't a whole lot of "South Asian" authors out there who write for young people. To try and correct this, here's a list of authors belonging to the South Asian diaspora (so I haven't included Indian authors living in India, for example). I'm sure it's not an exhaustive list... if you're a South Asian author who lives outside your country (expatriates only, please) and has written books that target children or young adults and I haven't listed you, my sincere apologies. Please let me know and I'd be delighted to update this list!<br />
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Swati Avasti<br />
Varsha Bajaj<br />
Anjali Banerjee<br />
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen<br />
Marina Budhos<br />
Sarwat Chadda<br />
Sheela Chari<br />
Narinder Dhami<br />
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni<br />
Rachna Gilmore<br />
Tanuja Desai Hidier<br />
Veera Hiranandi<br />
Sharukh Husain<br />
Sheba Karim<br />
Rukhsana Khan<br />
Uma Krishnaswami<br />
Pooja Makhijani<br />
Neesha Meminger<br />
Sanjay Patel<br />
Mitali Perkins<br />
Salman Rushdie<br />
Aisha Saeed<br />
Kashmira Seth<br />
N.H. Senzai<br />
Vivek Shraya<br />
Divya Srinivasan </div>
Padma Venkatramanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17059515941697258942noreply@blogger.com