April 2020 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Transported to the Arkansas Delta by Michelle Kuo's "Reading with Patrick", our group zoomed and parsed the tragic, complicated education shared by both Michelle and Patrick. Michelle's journey, began predictably and as the side track, not unbelievable yet absolutely heartbreaking, traveled through an impressive literary path chosen by Michelle and grasped by Patrick, the end result heightens the need to illuminate out country's deeply rooted inequities in both education and justice.

Patrick reading his poem, "I taught myself to feel free"

Hear Patrick read his poem:
 https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/an-urgent-call-from-the-delta-years-later

Patrick's poetic talent, that fell away so quickly when not tapped, coupled with his sensitivity towards his daughter, family and even Marcus' mother broke our hearts. Michelle's desire to make a difference seemed dwarfed by the reality, yet her continued sacrifice was head-scratching. Wanda made the observation that perhaps, the sacrifices Kuo's Taiwanese immigrant parents had made for her set the stage, as Michelle ultimately emulated their actions with her dutiful battle for Patrick through much personal cost, especially as perceived by her parents.

We are not usually this serious... seriously!

 My suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Furious Hours" Casey Cep
 "Mr. Emerson's Wife" Amy Belding Brown *chosen 
"Washington Black" Esi Edugyan







Up next:

Check out Jeanine Cummins' pre-COVID-19 manicure from her Twitter feed. Remember these days?

Safe reading,

LK

 

March 2020 Bookclub News

Colvin in Chechnya in 1999. Photograph: Dmitri Beliakov/Rex

Dear Bookclub,
Unable to attend our March discussion of Lindsey Hilsum's "In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin", I can only relay what was reported:everyone really liked the book and discussion was excellent.

In prepraration for our meeting, Terrie had shared an 8 minute NPR(fabulous) interview of the author with Lulu Garcia Navarro:
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/04/663571722/a-new-biography-of-marie-colvin-eyewitness-to-war
 
And shared by Wanda, the movie, "A Private War" on Amazon Prime. There is also a 2018 documentary, "Under the Wire":
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2019/02/223656/marie-colvin-under-the-wire-bbc-4



Not a tragic accident, Marie's death was ruled to be murder in 2019. A civil suit brought about by Marie's sister, Catherine, is reported on by none other than Lindsey Hilsum in the following "Guardian" article:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/03/marie-colvin-murder-verdict--risks-journalists-lindsey-hilsum

Marie Colvin and Lindsey Hilsum in Jenin, Palestine, in 2002. Picture: Paul Moorcraft

Hilsum,  after 114 interviews and reading 300 of Colvin’s notebooks and diaries, said the hardest part was knowing when to stop researching and start writing. “It’s a very strange thing to get to know your friend better in death than in life, but that’s what happened, because if she had lived I would never have read her teenage diaries." For more about Hilsum's experience writing the book, please enjoy this "Press Gazaette" interview during her 2018 book launch days:

https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/lindsey-hilsum-anxious-of-adding-to-myth-of-killed-sunday-times-war-reporter-marie-colvin-through-new-book-on-her-life/


Suggestions from Terrie for an upcoming selection:

"When All is Said" Anne Griffin
"The Gifted School" Bruce Holsinger *chosen
"The Mercies" Brian Millwood Hargrave


Up next:

Michele and her parents

Please enjoy this eclectic list of Michele's other writings (many with her husband, Albert Wu) from her website:

https://www.michellekuo.net/other-writings

Safe reading,
LK