Category Archives: Nonfiction

Narrative of Sojourner Truth

Posted on June 18, 2018 by

Sojourner Truth was born a slave named Isabella in — or around, there weren’t records kept — 1797, in Ulster County, New York. She was owned by a Dutch family until she was nine, and when she was sold to … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction | 9 Comments

Charles Dickens

Posted on June 15, 2018 by

Having finished all Dickens’s novels (except Edwin Drood — if he didn’t finish it, I don’t have to either!), I thought this was a good time to read Michael Slater’s 2007 biography. It was, in fact, the oldest book on … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Nonfiction | 6 Comments

White Rage

Posted on May 22, 2018 by

Carol Anderson’s book White Rage is surprisingly brief — only about 165 pages — but it is as powerful as a vaccine. If you read it, you won’t be able to look at American history (or your own education) in … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Nonfiction | 4 Comments

Syllabus

Posted on May 15, 2018 by

It’s fitting that during the last week of classes, when all I want to do is finish grading final exams and papers and close the door of my office and walk out into the May weather, I should write about … Continue reading →

Posted in Graphic Novels / Comics, Nonfiction | 4 Comments

Just Mercy

Posted on May 2, 2018 by

I read Just Mercy with my book group, but I’ve been wanting to read it for quite a while. This is Bryan Stevenson’s memoir about how he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, which struggles against racial injustice in the criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, Nonfiction | 5 Comments

Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and the End of Public Education

Posted on April 25, 2018 by

My job requires me to spend a lot of time thinking about K-12 education. I had this book by Noliwe Rooks on my reading list since before it came out—and before I got this job. As I’ve been doing some … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction | Leave a comment

What Are We Doing Here?

Posted on April 23, 2018 by

The essays in this collection by Marilynne Robinson address several different aspects of American life, from its Puritan history, to the presidency, to the media. Some also take on such lofty theological concepts as the sacred, grace and beauty, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Short Stories/Essays | 6 Comments

Sally Heathcote, Suffragette

Posted on April 21, 2018 by

I haven’t written a blog post for over two months, and I’m not sure… why not? I’ve just been very busy and tired, and I’ve been reading, but not at my usual volume, and when I’ve thought about writing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Graphic Novels / Comics, History, Nonfiction | 6 Comments

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America

Posted on April 7, 2018 by

In this collection of 10 essays, Morgan Jerkins reflects on her life and how it represents the experiences of black women in America. Each essay tackles a different aspect of life, including her childhood impressions of beauty, to life in … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Short Stories/Essays | 6 Comments

The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America

Posted on March 31, 2018 by

When I first saw this book by journalist Frances Fitzgerald, I was both curious and uneasy. Curious because I’d like to see a clear-headed examination of the Evangelical Christian movement that I spent most of my young adulthood in, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 6 Comments