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#BigBendCCBookChallenge Read 12 in 12: Sarah Bauer shares I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough"

08/02/2020
profile-icon Rhonda Kitchens

Book Talk:  Sara Bauer, Chemistry Instructor
Title:  I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough".
Author:  Brené Brown

 

Book Cover of Brene Brown's I Thought it was Me...

 

SB:  

I should probably be embarrassed at how many Brené Brown books I own, but thanks largely to her work, I am not… or at least I am learning not to be.  If you repeatedly asked me which of the five of her works on my bookshelf was my favorite, I would tell you a different one every time I am sure; I can never decide and I think my answer changes by the day of the week.  But if you instead asked me which ONE you should read if you were only willing to read one, I think it would be this one. Though perhaps you should ask me tomorrow too just to be sure.

Dr. Brown is a research professor who has spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy.  If you are human, which I suspect you are, you relate to these concepts whether you want to our not.  According to her research: we all experience shame, we all hate feeling vulnerable but actually think it’s very courageous to be so, and we all appreciate and long for empathy.

This book sheds light not only on these universal truths of human existence in a way that leaves you feeling your own surprised “me too” moments, but it outlines why you may feel the way you do, how normal that is, and what you can do about it.  As someone who has been accused of lacking empathy on occasion (because I do sometimes struggle to empathize) but who is committed to growing in that critical area of human connection, I especially appreciated the researcher’s perspective on what empathy is, what can get in the way of it, and how to cultivate it.  The following quote was one of the many that I highlighted during my reading for further reflection: “We can only respond compassionately to someone telling her story if we have embraced our own story—shame and all.  Compassion is not a virtue – it is a commitment.”  

Due to my own personal beliefs, I think that recognizing and responding well others’ shame and gently holding space for others’ stories is one of the most important things we can ever do, which means, I am realizing thanks to such authors, that I must do the work of learning to embrace my own, shame and all.  I would wish everyone read this book. ​

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Black History Month 2025 : Black Authors are Being Banned, What Should We Do About It?
01/20/2025
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Black History Month

 

TO DO

Defending Diverse Voices: Four Best-Selling Authors Talk Banned Books

"Ms. Classroom wants to hear from educators and students being impacted by legislation attacking public education, higher education, gender, race and sexuality studies, activism and social justice in education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Cue: a new series from Ms., ‘Banned! Voices from the Classroom.’ Submit pitches and/or op-eds and reflections (between 500-800 words) to Ms. contributing editor Aviva Dove-Viebahn at adove-viebahn@msmagazine.com. Posts will be accepted on a rolling basis."

 

Book Bannings Targeting Black Authors and Perspectives Are Skyrocketing Books by Black authors are being disproportionately banned at an alarming rate.

"Black literature has long been a target of censorship efforts in America, with coordinated efforts spanning back to at least the Harlem Renaissance. However, the current mania infecting anti-Critical Race Theory adherents has created a new wave of book bannings targeting Black authors, characters, and perspectives.

“Black writers have been feared for precisely their ability to highlight the injustices of American society with clarity, lyricism, and urgency.” – ACLU Massachusetts

SIGN THE PETITION

 

Build or Support a Little Free(dom) Library 

THIS PHILADELPHIA NONPROFIT IS BRINGING ATTENTION TO BANNED BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS WITH LITTLE FREE(DOM) LIBRARY. From Blavity.

"The nonprofit Visit Philadelphia, “the region’s official leisure tourism marketing agency,” has joined forces with Little Free Library to bring locals and tourists to the Little Free(dom) Library to celebrate Black History Month. According to Penn America, Black authors have been at a disadvantage when it comes to reaching a wide range of readers since over 30 states have removed certain books penned by Black authors. To help keep Black history and storytellers alive, the Little Free(dom) Library has made these forbidden books available in 13 locations throughout Philadelphia until Feb. 28. In addition, 1,500 free books will be given away at one of the pop-up book stands."

 

Unite Against Book Bans organization.

Toolkit for action. 

 

ISSUE

Book Bans: An Act of Policy Violence Promoting Anti-Blackness By Dr. Phelton Moss / NAACP 

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PEN America 

Research & Reports on book bannings. Page includes a TAKE ACTION button. 

PEN America tracks all book bans in libraries and classrooms across the U.S. in our Index of School Book Bans, updated for the 2022-2023 school year. What is PEN Ameica? "PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
 

How African-American Museums Are Navigating Book Bans

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10 Banned Black Books You Should Be Reading.Essence Magazine. 

More than 1,600 books were banned in 138 school districts across 32 states between 2021 and 2022, according to a report by PEN America. The vast majority of challenged and banned books feature BIPOC or LGBTQ+ characters, discuss gender, sexuality, and race in America, or are written by Black and POC authors.

 

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Rhonda The Librarian's Random Reading & Research Review | March 2021 | Weather
03/08/2021
profile-icon Rhonda Kitchens
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Video

 

eZine

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Variability of the sun and sun-like stars : from asteroseismology to space weather.


"However, we are still far from fully understanding what and how causes this variability. Why does the Sun continue to go on, on a rhythmic scale, the so-called solar cycle, without damping? How to better understand the complicated relationships between the Sun, the heliosphere and the many proxies of long-term solar activity?" - From Publisher

 

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References 

Baker, E. (2015). A storm of witchcraft : The Salem trials and the American experience. Oxford University Press.

Read Online.

Bradley, N. (2018). Rain shadow. University of Alberta Press.

Read Online.

Chiari, S. (2019). Shakespeare’s representation of weather, climate and environment : the early modern “Fated Sky”. Edinburgh University Press.

Read Online.

Esposito, J. A. (2018, December 18). A hard rain: America in the 1960s, our decade of hope, possibility, and innocence lost [Book review]. Washington

     Independent Review of Books. 

Read Online.

Gaillard, F. (2018). A hard rain: America in the 1960s, our decade of hope, possibility, and innocence lost. NewSouth Books.

Read Online.

Mawere, M., & Nhemachena, A. (2019).Necroclimatism in a spectral world (dis)order? rain petitioning, climate and weather engineering in 21st century

     Africa. Project Muse.

Read Online.

Rozelot, J., & Babayev, E. (2018). Variability of the sun and sun-like stars : from asteroseismology to space weather. EDP Sciences.

Read Online.

 

 

 

Literature, Library and Research Skills