My Master's degree focus was on Latina and Native American Indian women's literature. As such, I read many of Gloria Anzaldua's works, most notably Borderlands/La Frontera, which I donated to the WHHS Library and plan to re-read this summer as part of my journey. We also have her children's story Prietita y La Llorona and now this, a new 2015 edition of the foundational 1981 collection, published at the same time as her last manuscript posthumously.
This is an anthology of marginalized women's literature, a place where race, class, sexuality, and gender all intersect. I would say the most well-known piece contained therein to be Audre Lorde's "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House", an examination of being a black lesbian in the world of white straight women's feminism.
As I said in my review of Good Wives, there is a serious gap in the readings in American Literature and American History courses, which silences an entire experience. "Black lesbian feminist" has a place in the curriculum, just as "white straight feminist" does. Keeping readings by Lorde, Anzaldua, and others in "Women's Studies" courses prevents access and interaction. I also appreciate that this new edition includes the visual arts.
Look for this back on the shelf in our new home soon!
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Monday, June 17, 2019
Good Wives by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
The Summer of '19 is being dedicated to strong women: be them, know them, raise them. This summer's readings are for my girls.
I first read this book in 2005 in a research methods course in Women's Studies, along with Ulrich's more well-known (I believe) A Midwife's Tale, the biography of Martha Ballard. When curating my reading list for this summer, I felt it was a vital piece of American Women's History and needed to be included.
The subtitle of Good Wives is "Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England 1650-1750". As many of our students get their image of New England women of the time period from The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, and the poetry of Anne Bradstreet, I felt much was left out. The focus on sin, witchcraft, and piety/religion omits the realities of daily life for the vast majority of women. The "simple things" like childbirth and rearing, cooking, cleaning, and running a household are overshadowed by the sole images of the aforementioned literary works. Not to take anything away from them, but there is much more to be learned of how women's lives were affected by their (or more correctly their father's of husband's) financial means, travel, illness, and location. I used several excerpts from this as a supplement in my teaching, but I still felt it worthwhile to reread these depictions in their entirety.
Ulrich explores the various roles of women--housewife or one in control of the home base and its daily workings, deputy or husband's assistant in his craft or agriculture or business, consort or lover, mother, mistress of her servant girls, neighbor, Christian, and heroine. These roles are examine through the lens of Christian female mythology: Bathsheba (finances and daily life's impacts on them), Eve (sexuality and childbearing), and Jael (reconciling necessary violence with peaceful Christian ideology).
It is my hope to have some of this summer's readings appear in our American History and Literature classes' outside reading lists, not just a Women's Studies course. I believe this has a place, front and center, in OUR history.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Follow me on Twitter @Ramblings LMS; tweet what you're reading #whhs #read
I first read this book in 2005 in a research methods course in Women's Studies, along with Ulrich's more well-known (I believe) A Midwife's Tale, the biography of Martha Ballard. When curating my reading list for this summer, I felt it was a vital piece of American Women's History and needed to be included.
The subtitle of Good Wives is "Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England 1650-1750". As many of our students get their image of New England women of the time period from The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, and the poetry of Anne Bradstreet, I felt much was left out. The focus on sin, witchcraft, and piety/religion omits the realities of daily life for the vast majority of women. The "simple things" like childbirth and rearing, cooking, cleaning, and running a household are overshadowed by the sole images of the aforementioned literary works. Not to take anything away from them, but there is much more to be learned of how women's lives were affected by their (or more correctly their father's of husband's) financial means, travel, illness, and location. I used several excerpts from this as a supplement in my teaching, but I still felt it worthwhile to reread these depictions in their entirety.
Ulrich explores the various roles of women--housewife or one in control of the home base and its daily workings, deputy or husband's assistant in his craft or agriculture or business, consort or lover, mother, mistress of her servant girls, neighbor, Christian, and heroine. These roles are examine through the lens of Christian female mythology: Bathsheba (finances and daily life's impacts on them), Eve (sexuality and childbearing), and Jael (reconciling necessary violence with peaceful Christian ideology).
It is my hope to have some of this summer's readings appear in our American History and Literature classes' outside reading lists, not just a Women's Studies course. I believe this has a place, front and center, in OUR history.
All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.
Follow me on Twitter @Ramblings LMS; tweet what you're reading #whhs #read
Friday, June 7, 2019
Where I Was, Where I Am, Where I Am Going
Welcome back friends.
I know it has been a very long time. Since early March I believe. This is going to be a long, somewhat disjointed post about where I was, where I am, and where I'm going.
Part I: Where I Was
Alright. So what happened?
Well, my ego took a pretty massive bruising. I started posting video versions of my reviews in Google Classroom for my teachers to use as part of their independent reading. Although the vast responses were positive, one was really not. I suppose if it had've been a student, I'd've brushed it off and moved on. It wasn't a student.
So, I stopped reviewing via video. I stopped reviewing on the blog. I was hurt. Badly. I didn't stop reading of course, but I felt my reviews were worthless and therefore what was the point in even doing them?
But then someone said, "Jill, I haven't seen a review from you in a while. Did you change the website address?". I ended up fibbing that packing and end of the year stuff plus Band/Guard had gotten in the way in terms of time.
I realized that the people who enjoy or at the very least read and don't feel the need to criticize my reviews outnumber the one who would find fault in just about anything. Someone once called it the NegaTrain. I don't need to be on that railroad, thanks.
Part II: Where I Am (or We Are, actually)
That's where.
The WHHS LMC, built in 1963, held its last two classes yesterday. As a student, Millie Kalison and Anne Gabriel were my Librarians. When I moved down from F214, Marilyn Lynch and Diane Taylor were running the show, assisted by Carol Treacey and Joe Winters. There were other staff members between like Laura Garceau now at Bailey and Sue Walker who has since retired. This space was home to many. I feel a lot like when we had to say goodbye to my mom's house. The bank can take the physical space, it couldn't take our memories. These walls were Somewhere to a lot of people. Although the building will be demolished, the memories remain. Hold on to those.
Alas, we are ready to move. Joe, Leona, and I are ready to move across what used to be the courtyard to our new home. 357 boxes of books are lined up along the old ways to move to staging over the summer. I am absolutely terrified of unpacking it all...
Part III Where Am I Going?
A lot of different places, both physically and mentally.
This summer my husband and I have decided to do a lot of traveling. Disney (with the Band), Nova Scotia, South Carolina, and New Hampshire are all on the list. In addition, we've both decided to go radio silent during most of those trips (excluding Disney, we're with the Band afterall). Meaning staying away from work emails and social media. We both need to focus on our son, who is leaving Carrigan for Bailey.
Professionally, the K-4 West Haven LMSs and I are rewriting curriculum this summer. I look forward to modernizing our curriculum, last updated in 2010. A whole lot has changed in our world since 2010. Mrs. Porto and I are attending EdCampCT in August. We have gone to Google Summit together and I'm really looking forward to this adventure with her.
I am honored to say Ms. M. has invited to continue serving as Guard Advisor. Summer rehearsals will being in August (crossing fingers we can actually do so with the construction).
Last, but certainly not least, I am returning to reviewing books via this blog and creating video versions for my teachers and students to view in Classroom. This summer I have decided to reread some of the books that have inspired me and newly read those I know have inspired others. Welcome to Summer Reading 2019: Girl Power!
See you back here in a few days!
XOXO,
JW
I know it has been a very long time. Since early March I believe. This is going to be a long, somewhat disjointed post about where I was, where I am, and where I'm going.
Part I: Where I Was
Alright. So what happened?
Well, my ego took a pretty massive bruising. I started posting video versions of my reviews in Google Classroom for my teachers to use as part of their independent reading. Although the vast responses were positive, one was really not. I suppose if it had've been a student, I'd've brushed it off and moved on. It wasn't a student.
So, I stopped reviewing via video. I stopped reviewing on the blog. I was hurt. Badly. I didn't stop reading of course, but I felt my reviews were worthless and therefore what was the point in even doing them?
But then someone said, "Jill, I haven't seen a review from you in a while. Did you change the website address?". I ended up fibbing that packing and end of the year stuff plus Band/Guard had gotten in the way in terms of time.
I realized that the people who enjoy or at the very least read and don't feel the need to criticize my reviews outnumber the one who would find fault in just about anything. Someone once called it the NegaTrain. I don't need to be on that railroad, thanks.
Part II: Where I Am (or We Are, actually)
The WHHS LMC, built in 1963, held its last two classes yesterday. As a student, Millie Kalison and Anne Gabriel were my Librarians. When I moved down from F214, Marilyn Lynch and Diane Taylor were running the show, assisted by Carol Treacey and Joe Winters. There were other staff members between like Laura Garceau now at Bailey and Sue Walker who has since retired. This space was home to many. I feel a lot like when we had to say goodbye to my mom's house. The bank can take the physical space, it couldn't take our memories. These walls were Somewhere to a lot of people. Although the building will be demolished, the memories remain. Hold on to those.
Alas, we are ready to move. Joe, Leona, and I are ready to move across what used to be the courtyard to our new home. 357 boxes of books are lined up along the old ways to move to staging over the summer. I am absolutely terrified of unpacking it all...
Part III Where Am I Going?
A lot of different places, both physically and mentally.
This summer my husband and I have decided to do a lot of traveling. Disney (with the Band), Nova Scotia, South Carolina, and New Hampshire are all on the list. In addition, we've both decided to go radio silent during most of those trips (excluding Disney, we're with the Band afterall). Meaning staying away from work emails and social media. We both need to focus on our son, who is leaving Carrigan for Bailey.
Professionally, the K-4 West Haven LMSs and I are rewriting curriculum this summer. I look forward to modernizing our curriculum, last updated in 2010. A whole lot has changed in our world since 2010. Mrs. Porto and I are attending EdCampCT in August. We have gone to Google Summit together and I'm really looking forward to this adventure with her.
I am honored to say Ms. M. has invited to continue serving as Guard Advisor. Summer rehearsals will being in August (crossing fingers we can actually do so with the construction).
Last, but certainly not least, I am returning to reviewing books via this blog and creating video versions for my teachers and students to view in Classroom. This summer I have decided to reread some of the books that have inspired me and newly read those I know have inspired others. Welcome to Summer Reading 2019: Girl Power!
See you back here in a few days!
XOXO,
JW
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