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Recommend this book:
The Moon, the Watching Witching Moon
Our Light and Companion
David Campbell Callender
2021 Finalist
192 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
The Moon, the Watching Witching Moon: Our Light and Companion is the first book in the Hearing Others Voices series by David Campbell Callender. This is a beautiful book that almost serenades the Moon, Earth’s satellite, and how it has been the only constant for billions of years for Earth and us. In this simple yet poignant journey, the author shares details from his childhood to his adult life and shows how the Moon was an incredible companion for him. This gave the author the urge to learn more about the Moon and figure it out. From looking into the origins of the Moon to understanding its connection with Earth, the author examines everything with the eyes of a lover.
The illustrations, the writing style, and the actual narrative of The Moon, the Watching Witching Moon was an incredible treat. The narrative had a nostalgic feel to it and made me aware of what I never knew. Each chapter revealed a lot more about the Moon, the author, and the influence it had on the life of David Campbell Callender. To be honest, this book can double up as a memoir, thanks to how up close and personal the reader gets with the author. He didn’t keep anything hidden. David Campbell Callender shared his hardships and his incredible journey of life that he spent with his family and with his friend, the Moon. I found the portions on Moon and its origins to be very entertaining. I loved the way David Callender showed how we affect the Moon. I could feel the love and adoration the author had for his friend the Moon. I loved this book.
The Moon, the Watching Witching Moon: Our Light and Companion is the first book in the Hearing Others Voices series by David Campbell Callender. This is a beautiful book that almost serenades the Moon, Earth’s satellite, and how it has been the only constant for billions of years for Earth and us. In this simple yet poignant journey, the author shares details from his childhood to his adult life and shows how the Moon was an incredible companion for him. This gave the author the urge to learn more about the Moon and figure it out. From looking into the origins of the Moon to understanding its connection with Earth, the author examines everything with the eyes of a lover.
The illustrations, the writing style, and the actual narrative of The Moon, the Watching Witching Moon was an incredible treat. The narrative had a nostalgic feel to it and made me aware of what I never knew. Each chapter revealed a lot more about the Moon, the author, and the influence it had on the life of David Campbell Callender. To be honest, this book can double up as a memoir, thanks to how up close and personal the reader gets with the author. He didn’t keep anything hidden. David Campbell Callender shared his hardships and his incredible journey of life that he spent with his family and with his friend, the Moon. I found the portions on Moon and its origins to be very entertaining. I loved the way David Callender showed how we affect the Moon. I could feel the love and adoration the author had for his friend the Moon. I loved this book.
Recommend this book:
Dinosaurs And Indians
Paleontology Resource Dispossession From Sioux Lands - First Edition
Lawrence W Bradley
2021 Honorable Mention
286 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite
Dinosaurs and Indians: Paleontology Resource Dispossession from Sioux Lands by Lawrence W. Bradley argues that vertebrate fossils are yet another natural resource dispossessed from subjugated people like the Sioux of the Northern Great Plains of the USA. It begins with an introduction, the purpose of the study, its methodology and literature reviews, followed by the history of vertebrate fossil dispossession from the Great Sioux Reservation and adjacent Indian lands from 1847 to 1899, as well as from 1900 to the present. This dissertation in its conclusion will bring together the past, present, and future of paleontology on Indian lands of the Great Plains. The following questions are addressed: 1) Were the vast paleontological resources located on Indian lands of the Great Plains since the mid-nineteenth century used to advantage and by whom? 2) What is the volume and value of fossils held at three prestigious American museums? 3) What should be the concept of physical geography that would help ensure ethical research procedures?
Dinosaurs and Indians: Paleontology Resource Dispossession from Sioux Lands by Lawrence W. Bradley reexamines how the paleontological resources have been dispossessed from Sioux lands and adjacent Indian lands since they were discovered over one hundred and fifty years ago, and puts forward the view that such resources need to be protected now and in the future. The author has used extensively as evidence: publications, autobiographies, biographies, eyewitness accounts, legal cases, maps, media reports, memoirs, museum visits, numerous examples of fossils, oral history, and Tribal Government and U.S. Government documents. This is truly a scholarly work. I welcome having had an opportunity to evaluate this as an excellent book.
Dinosaurs and Indians: Paleontology Resource Dispossession from Sioux Lands by Lawrence W. Bradley argues that vertebrate fossils are yet another natural resource dispossessed from subjugated people like the Sioux of the Northern Great Plains of the USA. It begins with an introduction, the purpose of the study, its methodology and literature reviews, followed by the history of vertebrate fossil dispossession from the Great Sioux Reservation and adjacent Indian lands from 1847 to 1899, as well as from 1900 to the present. This dissertation in its conclusion will bring together the past, present, and future of paleontology on Indian lands of the Great Plains. The following questions are addressed: 1) Were the vast paleontological resources located on Indian lands of the Great Plains since the mid-nineteenth century used to advantage and by whom? 2) What is the volume and value of fossils held at three prestigious American museums? 3) What should be the concept of physical geography that would help ensure ethical research procedures?
Dinosaurs and Indians: Paleontology Resource Dispossession from Sioux Lands by Lawrence W. Bradley reexamines how the paleontological resources have been dispossessed from Sioux lands and adjacent Indian lands since they were discovered over one hundred and fifty years ago, and puts forward the view that such resources need to be protected now and in the future. The author has used extensively as evidence: publications, autobiographies, biographies, eyewitness accounts, legal cases, maps, media reports, memoirs, museum visits, numerous examples of fossils, oral history, and Tribal Government and U.S. Government documents. This is truly a scholarly work. I welcome having had an opportunity to evaluate this as an excellent book.
Recommend this book:
Athena in The Rathole
Demi K
2021 Bronze Medal
308 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Athena in the Rathole by Demi K is a memoir that is culturally rich and that will stir the thoughts and emotions of readers. It begins with a reference to the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a humorous movie that is supposed to portray the typical Greek behavior, but which the author classifies as “skata,” meaning “Shit.” In this memoir, she tells the story of Athena, born to Greek immigrant parents, and deftly explores the turmoil in her soul as she navigates two worlds — her new American environment comprising of a world of abusive classmates and a Greek home where her mother treats her as a shame to the family, blaming her for the troubles they have faced. She is not what her parents wanted her to be, and her pain grows even deeper when she is sent away to a school for disturbed kids. She eventually connects with people who stand up for her, including a hooker, an art teacher, and many others. But will her mother give up in her efforts to destroy her own child?
Athena in the Rathole is a brilliantly written story, exploring historical, cultural, and social themes that are just spot-on. The dark humor is persistent and it hits the reader from the very opening pages of the story – in fact, it was the quirkiness in the author’s voice that pulled me in, as she described her people and their history, noting that most of those that immigrated to the US didn’t know how to write in their language, talk less of English and that “My father, who was pretty much a caveman, was among them.” That immediately signals trouble and I was keen on following what happens in the story. Athena in the Rathole is filled with compelling social and cultural commentaries and the author has a strong story to tell. The exciting thing is that she tells it in an exceptional manner, in a voice that is absorbing and humor that is irresistible. Demi K knows how to connect with readers, a great storyteller who opens a unique door for readers to peer into the soul of her people, into challenges that Greek immigrants faced and to the price of earning the American Dream. It is a must-read, a humorously told story that isn’t lacking when it comes to emotional depth.
Athena in the Rathole by Demi K is a memoir that is culturally rich and that will stir the thoughts and emotions of readers. It begins with a reference to the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a humorous movie that is supposed to portray the typical Greek behavior, but which the author classifies as “skata,” meaning “Shit.” In this memoir, she tells the story of Athena, born to Greek immigrant parents, and deftly explores the turmoil in her soul as she navigates two worlds — her new American environment comprising of a world of abusive classmates and a Greek home where her mother treats her as a shame to the family, blaming her for the troubles they have faced. She is not what her parents wanted her to be, and her pain grows even deeper when she is sent away to a school for disturbed kids. She eventually connects with people who stand up for her, including a hooker, an art teacher, and many others. But will her mother give up in her efforts to destroy her own child?
Athena in the Rathole is a brilliantly written story, exploring historical, cultural, and social themes that are just spot-on. The dark humor is persistent and it hits the reader from the very opening pages of the story – in fact, it was the quirkiness in the author’s voice that pulled me in, as she described her people and their history, noting that most of those that immigrated to the US didn’t know how to write in their language, talk less of English and that “My father, who was pretty much a caveman, was among them.” That immediately signals trouble and I was keen on following what happens in the story. Athena in the Rathole is filled with compelling social and cultural commentaries and the author has a strong story to tell. The exciting thing is that she tells it in an exceptional manner, in a voice that is absorbing and humor that is irresistible. Demi K knows how to connect with readers, a great storyteller who opens a unique door for readers to peer into the soul of her people, into challenges that Greek immigrants faced and to the price of earning the American Dream. It is a must-read, a humorously told story that isn’t lacking when it comes to emotional depth.
Recommend this book:
The Colour of the Sun
Gillian Thorp
2021 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite
In the beginning of Gillian Thorp’s intensely personal and moving memoir, The Colour of the Sun, an early reader remarks: “… there are some stories that don’t just stick with you; they become a part of you.” I quote this observation because it’s true. Sometimes, one comes across an exquisite piece of writing that inhabits one’s own being with the wisdom, experience, compassion, and transformative, cleansing tears of another. One does not simply imbibe a journal of distant recollections. Instead, we are privileged to share the vivid intimacy and higher meaning more often meant for the individual alone. Only great courage and generosity from an author allows this deeper thing to happen.
When the author writes as beautifully as Gillian Thorp in The Colour of the Sun, magic happens. Her story begins in South Africa, and her indelible opening sentence should become a classic of the genre: “I was born among thieves.” In addition, Ms. Thorp employs an irresistible style for telling her life story. First, she speaks as an observer of her time and place with unrelenting, gorgeous prose on which the smitten reader simply wants to float. Then, like a spirit come to earth, she inhabits uniquely defining moments with her unresisting, lucid presence. Just so, the reader is invited to share both her objective observations and her vivid memories. You will not be left unscarred. You will not be left unchanged. This book will indeed become a part of you. Even the trail of tears you walk on at the end will become a part of your path, too.
In the beginning of Gillian Thorp’s intensely personal and moving memoir, The Colour of the Sun, an early reader remarks: “… there are some stories that don’t just stick with you; they become a part of you.” I quote this observation because it’s true. Sometimes, one comes across an exquisite piece of writing that inhabits one’s own being with the wisdom, experience, compassion, and transformative, cleansing tears of another. One does not simply imbibe a journal of distant recollections. Instead, we are privileged to share the vivid intimacy and higher meaning more often meant for the individual alone. Only great courage and generosity from an author allows this deeper thing to happen.
When the author writes as beautifully as Gillian Thorp in The Colour of the Sun, magic happens. Her story begins in South Africa, and her indelible opening sentence should become a classic of the genre: “I was born among thieves.” In addition, Ms. Thorp employs an irresistible style for telling her life story. First, she speaks as an observer of her time and place with unrelenting, gorgeous prose on which the smitten reader simply wants to float. Then, like a spirit come to earth, she inhabits uniquely defining moments with her unresisting, lucid presence. Just so, the reader is invited to share both her objective observations and her vivid memories. You will not be left unscarred. You will not be left unchanged. This book will indeed become a part of you. Even the trail of tears you walk on at the end will become a part of your path, too.
Recommend this book:
Between Inca Walls
A Peace Corps Memoir
Evelyn Kohl LaTorre
2020 Finalist
328 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers' Favorite
Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir by Evelyn Kohl LaTorre is an intimate story about a young woman determined to make a fulfilling life for herself. Born and raised in a small town in Montana, Evelyn's family moved to California when she was sixteen years old where she immersed herself in the Latino culture of its migrant workers. This awakened her desire to help the less fortunate and it brought her to Apaseo el Grande, a small town in Mexico, to help set up a library. She eventually joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Abancay, a small mountain town in the Andes of Peru. Together with another Peace Corps volunteer, Marie, she spent eighteen months working in various capacities here and eventually fell in love with Antonio, a Peruvian university student.
Evelyn Kohl La Torre's Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir is a candid memoir of a young Peace Corps volunteer assigned to a scenic mountain town in the Andes of Peru. Hers is a story of adventure set in Peru's colorful culture that unfolds in vivid descriptions and beautiful metaphors. Evelyn Kohl La Torre got more than what she bargained for when she joined the Peace Corps and as she recounts the sights, sounds, and smells of her experiences in the Andes, it is easy to be sucked in this beautiful tale. Reading Between Inca Walls is like taking that trip made by a young, naive but determined woman volunteer, and the road is certainly lively, winding and very exciting.
Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir by Evelyn Kohl LaTorre is an intimate story about a young woman determined to make a fulfilling life for herself. Born and raised in a small town in Montana, Evelyn's family moved to California when she was sixteen years old where she immersed herself in the Latino culture of its migrant workers. This awakened her desire to help the less fortunate and it brought her to Apaseo el Grande, a small town in Mexico, to help set up a library. She eventually joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Abancay, a small mountain town in the Andes of Peru. Together with another Peace Corps volunteer, Marie, she spent eighteen months working in various capacities here and eventually fell in love with Antonio, a Peruvian university student.
Evelyn Kohl La Torre's Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir is a candid memoir of a young Peace Corps volunteer assigned to a scenic mountain town in the Andes of Peru. Hers is a story of adventure set in Peru's colorful culture that unfolds in vivid descriptions and beautiful metaphors. Evelyn Kohl La Torre got more than what she bargained for when she joined the Peace Corps and as she recounts the sights, sounds, and smells of her experiences in the Andes, it is easy to be sucked in this beautiful tale. Reading Between Inca Walls is like taking that trip made by a young, naive but determined woman volunteer, and the road is certainly lively, winding and very exciting.
Recommend this book:
Dirty Science
How Unscientific Methods Are Blocking Our Cultural Advancement
Bob Gebelein
2020 Honorable Mention
220 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Dirty Science is an unusual and thought-provoking work of non-fiction by author Bob Gebelein, which attempts to explain ‘How Unscientific Methods Are Blocking Our Cultural Advancement’. The book begins a discussion on the nature of the absolute faith we, in the modern day, place in science, and how this can sometimes prove unwise and prevent progress and new philosophical thinking in other areas of the discipline. Whilst science has its place in the world, the examples chosen in this complex read are intended to help its audience see the genuine nature of science and identify the ‘unscientific’ elements where pride, politics, and empiricism may stand in the way of explorations of the mental and spiritual realms in which we also abide.
Though it takes a little while to get your head around the text, the writings and arguments which author Bob Gebelein explores in Dirty Science truly open the mind to possibilities beyond just believing what we are told in the mainstream. The legitimacy of the scientific establishment has often been called into question as an elitist and politically-motivated organization, but Gebelein gives comprehensive and compelling explanations as to why that may be, and what can be done about it to allow science to progress beyond a simple categorization of the physical world around us. I particularly enjoyed the sections on seemingly irrational concepts like precognition and clairvoyance, as well as the comparisons made to a sense of faith in religion. Overall, Dirty Science provides much food for thought in a well-written and accessible format.
Dirty Science is an unusual and thought-provoking work of non-fiction by author Bob Gebelein, which attempts to explain ‘How Unscientific Methods Are Blocking Our Cultural Advancement’. The book begins a discussion on the nature of the absolute faith we, in the modern day, place in science, and how this can sometimes prove unwise and prevent progress and new philosophical thinking in other areas of the discipline. Whilst science has its place in the world, the examples chosen in this complex read are intended to help its audience see the genuine nature of science and identify the ‘unscientific’ elements where pride, politics, and empiricism may stand in the way of explorations of the mental and spiritual realms in which we also abide.
Though it takes a little while to get your head around the text, the writings and arguments which author Bob Gebelein explores in Dirty Science truly open the mind to possibilities beyond just believing what we are told in the mainstream. The legitimacy of the scientific establishment has often been called into question as an elitist and politically-motivated organization, but Gebelein gives comprehensive and compelling explanations as to why that may be, and what can be done about it to allow science to progress beyond a simple categorization of the physical world around us. I particularly enjoyed the sections on seemingly irrational concepts like precognition and clairvoyance, as well as the comparisons made to a sense of faith in religion. Overall, Dirty Science provides much food for thought in a well-written and accessible format.
Recommend this book:
Wildflowers and Train Whistles
Stories of a Coal Mining Family
Lillian Frazer
2020 Bronze Medal
128 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is a memoir written by Lillian Crone Frazer. Frazer grew up in Minden, West Virginia, a small coal mining camp town, during the 1950s and '60s. She was the youngest of a family with seven kids. Her mom and dad had also both grown up in Minden. Her maternal grandparents were Hungarian immigrants, and her dad’s parents had moved from Virginia. Coal mining provided families with homes and the necessities of life; however, heavy rains brought with them the spectre of flooding, and at one point a landslide wreaked havoc on the town when the towering slate dump outside of town became destabilized by the rain. Frazer shares her experiences as a child playing outdoors with the other kids in her community, and airs the growing concerns all the residents shared as the mine’s coal veins dried up and the miners were laid off. She includes an extensive collection of photographs of her family, the neighboring countryside and the coal camp homes of Minden.
Lillian Frazer’s Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is a sheer delight to read. Frazer has a genius for telling stories, and I found her accounts of growing up in Minden, West Virginia to be irresistible. This is one of those books that’s impossible to put down until one’s finished the last page. While I was superficially familiar with coal mining and the company store made famous in song, nothing prepared me for these honest and moving accounts of growing up in coal country. I especially loved reading about the outdoors adventures Frazer, her brothers and sisters, and her friends shared as they were growing up, and the Crone family quickly became people I knew and cared about. Frazer’s photographs are superb! They work so well with the text to make Minden, the environs and Frazer’s family come alive. If you choose to read one memoir this year, this is the one I would pick hands down. Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is most highly recommended.
Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is a memoir written by Lillian Crone Frazer. Frazer grew up in Minden, West Virginia, a small coal mining camp town, during the 1950s and '60s. She was the youngest of a family with seven kids. Her mom and dad had also both grown up in Minden. Her maternal grandparents were Hungarian immigrants, and her dad’s parents had moved from Virginia. Coal mining provided families with homes and the necessities of life; however, heavy rains brought with them the spectre of flooding, and at one point a landslide wreaked havoc on the town when the towering slate dump outside of town became destabilized by the rain. Frazer shares her experiences as a child playing outdoors with the other kids in her community, and airs the growing concerns all the residents shared as the mine’s coal veins dried up and the miners were laid off. She includes an extensive collection of photographs of her family, the neighboring countryside and the coal camp homes of Minden.
Lillian Frazer’s Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is a sheer delight to read. Frazer has a genius for telling stories, and I found her accounts of growing up in Minden, West Virginia to be irresistible. This is one of those books that’s impossible to put down until one’s finished the last page. While I was superficially familiar with coal mining and the company store made famous in song, nothing prepared me for these honest and moving accounts of growing up in coal country. I especially loved reading about the outdoors adventures Frazer, her brothers and sisters, and her friends shared as they were growing up, and the Crone family quickly became people I knew and cared about. Frazer’s photographs are superb! They work so well with the text to make Minden, the environs and Frazer’s family come alive. If you choose to read one memoir this year, this is the one I would pick hands down. Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Renegade Women in Film & TV
Elizabeth Weitzman
2020 Silver Medal
128 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite
Renegade Women in Film & TV, written by Elizabeth Weitzman and illustrated by Austen Claire Clements, shares the history of women in television that paved the way for women today. Possibly one of the most important female roles in studio comedy, discover the life of Alice Guy-Blanche who started her career as a secretary at a camera company to then founding Solax Studios. Guy-Blanche set the pace in screen comedy for the generations of women who didn’t conform to what the expected behavior of a modern woman should be. Don’t forget Helen Gibson who is credited as the first stuntwoman of Hollywood. She did her stunts the hard way while others after her used padding, wires, and cables to help them in their stunts. Mae West, the woman who was loved for being bad, recognized that she was the first liberated woman and wrote it into her scripts. With women in cinema owing the first family sitcom to the ever-comedic Gertrude Berg, it’s no wonder women like Lucille Ball followed in her footsteps.
I loved all the information about the history of women in cinematic television in Renegade Women in Film & TV by Elizabeth Weitzman. I honestly never knew that Alla Nazimova was a trailblazer of female sexuality on and off the big screen. I love that Weitzman put Lois Weber in this book and her history of discussing topics that were illegal in public during her time like abortion and birth control. The illustrations by Austen Claire Clements are absolutely amazing as they portray the amazing women Weitzman is discussing. I recommend this book to anyone with a passion for history, cinema, theater and anyone else who just wants to know who influenced some of the most famous personalities on TV today.
Renegade Women in Film & TV, written by Elizabeth Weitzman and illustrated by Austen Claire Clements, shares the history of women in television that paved the way for women today. Possibly one of the most important female roles in studio comedy, discover the life of Alice Guy-Blanche who started her career as a secretary at a camera company to then founding Solax Studios. Guy-Blanche set the pace in screen comedy for the generations of women who didn’t conform to what the expected behavior of a modern woman should be. Don’t forget Helen Gibson who is credited as the first stuntwoman of Hollywood. She did her stunts the hard way while others after her used padding, wires, and cables to help them in their stunts. Mae West, the woman who was loved for being bad, recognized that she was the first liberated woman and wrote it into her scripts. With women in cinema owing the first family sitcom to the ever-comedic Gertrude Berg, it’s no wonder women like Lucille Ball followed in her footsteps.
I loved all the information about the history of women in cinematic television in Renegade Women in Film & TV by Elizabeth Weitzman. I honestly never knew that Alla Nazimova was a trailblazer of female sexuality on and off the big screen. I love that Weitzman put Lois Weber in this book and her history of discussing topics that were illegal in public during her time like abortion and birth control. The illustrations by Austen Claire Clements are absolutely amazing as they portray the amazing women Weitzman is discussing. I recommend this book to anyone with a passion for history, cinema, theater and anyone else who just wants to know who influenced some of the most famous personalities on TV today.
Recommend this book:
Ain't I a Diva?
Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy
Kevin Allred
2020 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Ain’t I a Diva? Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy is a work of non-fiction focused on education and socio-political themes and was penned by author Kevin Allred. From a perspective of utilizing the power of pop culture and modern-day icons to examine a range of critical thoughts on feminism, race and modern life in general, Kevin Allred chooses the undeniable star power and influence of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter for his subject matter. Unpicking her lyrics, successes, failures, and influence against a background of writers from Black feminist thought and modern social and political shifts, we discover the true power of Beyoncé’s influence as a reflection of culture and a creator of culture.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish for its acknowledgment that celebrity has real power in the world and is not something which academic thinkers should turn away from in distaste. Author Kevin Allred presents the old favorites from Bey’s career in the hindsight of social movements and changes that have occurred alongside them, as well as unpicking more recent lyrical endeavors against themes of empowerment, gender, mental health, and self-care. On top of this comes the pedagogical consideration of how this example of a pop icon can be used for the betterment and greater understanding of teaching and learning, which I also found to be highly compelling and effective. Overall, Ain’t I a Diva? Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy is an important work for educators looking at the social world and comes highly recommended.
Ain’t I a Diva? Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy is a work of non-fiction focused on education and socio-political themes and was penned by author Kevin Allred. From a perspective of utilizing the power of pop culture and modern-day icons to examine a range of critical thoughts on feminism, race and modern life in general, Kevin Allred chooses the undeniable star power and influence of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter for his subject matter. Unpicking her lyrics, successes, failures, and influence against a background of writers from Black feminist thought and modern social and political shifts, we discover the true power of Beyoncé’s influence as a reflection of culture and a creator of culture.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish for its acknowledgment that celebrity has real power in the world and is not something which academic thinkers should turn away from in distaste. Author Kevin Allred presents the old favorites from Bey’s career in the hindsight of social movements and changes that have occurred alongside them, as well as unpicking more recent lyrical endeavors against themes of empowerment, gender, mental health, and self-care. On top of this comes the pedagogical consideration of how this example of a pop icon can be used for the betterment and greater understanding of teaching and learning, which I also found to be highly compelling and effective. Overall, Ain’t I a Diva? Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy is an important work for educators looking at the social world and comes highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Time for the World to Learn From Africa
Hearing Others' Voices
Ruth Finnegan
2019 Finalist
226 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Cultural
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Time for the World to Learn From Africa: Hearing Others’ Voices is a work of educational non-fiction intended for students and young people, penned by author and academic Ruth Finnegan. Taking a break from her scholarly work, Finnegan delves deep into the heritage, culture, art and beliefs of Africa to uncover and convey that which we, as Westernized society, could learn from opening our eyes and ears to another culture. In a reversal of the idea that the cultures of the east need to look west for improvement, it is now time that we look back over the language, lore, gender roles and insights of African culture in order to develop ourselves as more rounded people.
I adored this book for its empowering presence, but also for the creative and educational possibilities it suggests. As an educator and creative practitioner myself, I really enjoyed the explanations of elements such as performance and music, how they are integral to the African culture and are valued in a different way than we see entertainment formats in the West. Linguistically, Ruth Finnegan’s sensitivity to the many languages and dialects of Africa is well explained and would be easily understood by her target age range of students aged sixteen and above. I think that opening others up to culture in such an academic and accessible way is of huge benefit to the target group, but Time for the World to Learn from Africa would also make an excellent addition to the shelves of all teachers who want to bring new perspectives into their classrooms.
Time for the World to Learn From Africa: Hearing Others’ Voices is a work of educational non-fiction intended for students and young people, penned by author and academic Ruth Finnegan. Taking a break from her scholarly work, Finnegan delves deep into the heritage, culture, art and beliefs of Africa to uncover and convey that which we, as Westernized society, could learn from opening our eyes and ears to another culture. In a reversal of the idea that the cultures of the east need to look west for improvement, it is now time that we look back over the language, lore, gender roles and insights of African culture in order to develop ourselves as more rounded people.
I adored this book for its empowering presence, but also for the creative and educational possibilities it suggests. As an educator and creative practitioner myself, I really enjoyed the explanations of elements such as performance and music, how they are integral to the African culture and are valued in a different way than we see entertainment formats in the West. Linguistically, Ruth Finnegan’s sensitivity to the many languages and dialects of Africa is well explained and would be easily understood by her target age range of students aged sixteen and above. I think that opening others up to culture in such an academic and accessible way is of huge benefit to the target group, but Time for the World to Learn from Africa would also make an excellent addition to the shelves of all teachers who want to bring new perspectives into their classrooms.
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