YA Eco Mysteries, Memoirs, Novels & Travel
South African Memoir
15/08/11 17:18 Filed in: Memoirs
Connections to other times and places
Publishing a book is like placing a message inside a bottle and tossing it into the ocean; you never know what or whom the book may encounter on its journey. I feel fortunate to have connected with interesting people through my book, Behind The Walled Garden of Apartheid, and, of course, the converse is true; the books I read vicariously connect me with fascinating people, places and ideas.
Publishing a book is like placing a message inside a bottle and tossing it into the ocean; you never know what or whom the book may encounter on its journey. I feel fortunate to have connected with interesting people through my book, Behind The Walled Garden of Apartheid, and, of course, the converse is true; the books I read vicariously connect me with fascinating people, places and ideas.
Erik Larson In The Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin, sent shivers of recognition down my spine. Larsen chronicles the actual experiences of a mild-mannered but morally strong academic, William E. Dodd, the first American ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in 1933, and his flirtatious daughter, Martha. Their stories all too starkly chronicle how Hitler was able to rise to power through sheer terror—because leaders of nations and ordinary people bought the lies being told them, or turned a blind eye to the violence and cruelty rampaging across Germany, or actually took part in it. Growing up in South Africa at the height of Apartheid, for me there are chilling parallels. In Germany and South Africa the world and the citizens of both countries failed to reign in despots. The lesson: We as individuals must remain ever vigilant and must summon the courage to speak out and band together to prevent tyrants from taking power before it’s too late.
The Help: book and movie
Describing the deeply ingrained racial prejudices resonates with me, evoking the injustices of that era. Many of you have no doubt read Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, which the vast majority of reviewers praised, however, the American Association of Black Women History, posted a much less favorable review of the book and the movie.
Watch Melissa Harris-Perry's Sharp Critique of the "The Help" | AlterNet
Open Statement. The Help
Please share your thoughts e-mail me at: cldatnow@me.com
The Help: book and movie
Describing the deeply ingrained racial prejudices resonates with me, evoking the injustices of that era. Many of you have no doubt read Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, which the vast majority of reviewers praised, however, the American Association of Black Women History, posted a much less favorable review of the book and the movie.
Watch Melissa Harris-Perry's Sharp Critique of the "The Help" | AlterNet
Open Statement. The Help
Please share your thoughts e-mail me at: cldatnow@me.com