Hey, folks. I’ve been slowing down quite a bit during these uncertain days. Living in a COVID “hot spot” can be stressful. To combat the pressure, I’ve been doing my darndest to meditate. Sam Harris never fails. Deepak Chopra is also coming up with a strong listening library. As promised, I hit up another John Irving novel, The World According to … More Get Lit With Kit – November 2020
What’s happening dudes and dudettes? A few years ago, my friend recommended John Irving’s A Widow for One Year. I finally got around to reading it. WOW! The story follows Ruth and Eddie as they navigate the complexities of love and abandonment. I’ll be doing an author study. Anyone else want to get on board? One Irving novel a … More Get Lit With Kit – October 2020
How’s everybody doing? I had a tumultuous month but still managed to get in some goodies. Books: Kid Lit – The Pushcart War. If you haven’t read this book, get on it. The book is an underrated classic about fighting back. The NYC Pushcarts v The Trucks. Who do you think will win? Essays: Furiously Happy. Jenny … More Get Lit With Kit – Best of September 2020
Howdy, all. I did quite a bit of reading this month (coupling fiction with non-fiction, as I am wont to do), and wrote “This Means War“. It offers an analysis of Dr. Danielle Ofri’s book When We Do Harm, Deborah Gruenfeld’s Acting with Power, and includes an extended excerpt from Sebastian Faulk’s Birdsong, a … More Get Lit With Kit – Best of August 2020
“We refuse to believe that which we do not understand. We foolishly believe that our own limitations are the proper measure of limitations. “ – Napoleon Hill What if I’m wrong? A question. A probe What if I’m wrong? A realization. A threat. What if I’m wrong? Failure. Defeat. Resurrection. This utterance has the … More This Means War
I was deeply impressed by Delia Owen’s novel, Where the Crawdads Sing. Her words struck full of painful beauty. Her characters were real. The book teaches critical lessons that I explore in my essay “The Upside of Suicide.” Read them both. Somewhat related was this interesting podcast from father and son Eric and Zev Weinstein. Baffling how … More Get Lit With Kit – Best of July 2020
Part 1: Serial Suicide The first time I committed suicide, I was eight years old. Before I knew I was supposed to be self conscious about it, my nanny, Harriet, braided my hair. I loved the cornrows she decorated with beads. Bright pink. Neon green. Fluorescent orange. Swinging my head from side to side, the … More The Upside of Suicide
I’m going to begin today’s list with a selection from Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers. This was a timely audiobook that explores how and why people misunderstand each other, and the way those misreadings can lead to tragedy. Gladwell skillfully exploited the audiobook format to include the actual recordings of interviews that are woven through … More Get Lit With Kit – Best of June
“How people loved to see a dream shatter… To see the dreamer hobbled and lamed, foundering in the shards of their broken hopes. This is what you get for believing that you could have more. You’re no better than us. You’re nothing special.” ― Laini Taylor The Jewish nation is a torn nation. At once … More Dream A Little Dream
I don’t know about you, but for me, the weeks seem to fly by. Here’s how I’ve been keeping busy: Books: Volume Control by David Owen is a fascinating read that delves into the history of deafness and hearing loss. As an educator, there were several passages that caught my attention (one in particular relates to deaf … More Get Lit With Kit – Best of May
