Unlike the people helping George Orwell's 1984 sell out at amazon, I didn't decide to read The Handmaid's Tale to educate myself on what life might be like in the "hands" of a fascist regime. I picked it up because I'd always wanted to read it. I didn't even know much about the story at the time.
Yesterday, thousands of people at JFK airport in New York City and Dulles airport outside Washington, DC, and other cities across the US went to the arrival terminals of international airports and said to the people coming into the US from other countries - We stand with you.
Emma Lazarus. It's not a name you probably know. But, you know her words. You've heard them before, even if you've decided to forget them...
At the Woman's March this weekend in DC, I saw a poster with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "Well-behaved women seldom make history." I love this quote. I want to get it tattooed on my arm. In honor of those women and continuing the ideals embodied in the Women's March this weekend, here are 10 books about women "behaving badly" and making a difference doing it.
Every time someone yelled "Tell me what democracy looks like" and a roaring crowd responded, "This is what democracy looks like," I felt my heart lifted with hope just a little bit on Saturday during the Women's March on Washington. I first heard this refrain when we stepped out of the subway...
I went to a pre-election day "end of the world party" (Northern Virginia mama-style) last night with many of my friends from my amazing book club (The Nightlighers). The point was to have a little fun before the dreaded vote the next day. Then the dreaded vote came and went. But, you know what? It wasn't as awful as I thought. It actually made me smile. Then, I wondered. Why is that? I had to find out, of course.
It’s Election Day tomorrow. Tonight, I’m going to an “End of the World” party. Tongue and cheek party name? I really hope so. Personally, as a writer and a lover of books, Facebook and Twitter are not places that I go for my political information. Not that I don’t love the jokes and pithy commentary. (I really do!) But, it can’t be the only source if you want to have a real understanding of issues. (There really should be no one source at all, right?) On that note, I’d like to highlight the power of reading books and thoughtful articles to make you think about the world beyond twitter (I know, it exists right? Crazy)
K.L. Kranes 