Did you know that ALSC has its own YouTube Channel? Neither did I. One of the themes of my year is exploring all the avenues ALSC uses to share information with its members and this is a fun one! I heard about this today in a committee meeting and had to check it out.
The ALSC Channel has author and illustrator interviews, Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder acceptance speeches, and great information from members and leaders in ALSC.
The post Reconnect with your favorite authors on the ALSC YouTube Channel #alamw16 appeared first on ALSC Blog.
Our intrepid leader, CEO, and co-founder of First Book, Kyle Zimmer, shared some of the wit and wisdom that motivates the First Book Team on a daily basis with a crowd of graduates of St Mary’s College in Notre Dame this Saturday.
Adults Are Not Really Certain of Anything.
“In my own life, it took me far too long to figure this out. When I was young, I got distracted by adults who would swagger or bluster. I assumed that anyone who was that forceful MUST know what they were talking about.”
You Are Going to Fail.
“The truth is that, although you can fail without ever succeeding, it is impossible to succeed without failing. Every famous person who has ever succeeded has failed –- and usually significantly -– before contributing their success to the world.”
Grit Trumps IQ.
“Researchers have been confounded by the fact that having a high IQ does not correlate to success. Finally one woman, Angela Lee Duckworth, started performing wide-ranging analysis and she has discovered that, while it is certainly handy to have a high IQ -– grit is by far the better indicator of potential. She defines grit as ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals.’ You are all blessed elevated IQs –- which will give you a leg up -– but your task now is to find your passion – and get gritty – and no one will be able to stop you.”
Community Is Everything. Build It and Be A Part of It.
“The institutions you will encounter will likely not have communities that are as strong and supportive as St. Mary’s. They will need you to build them up: at work, at home, with people who are kind and smart and have a great sense of humor. Wait — let me reorder that -– build with people who have a great sense of humor and who also are smart and kind. For heaven’s sake, prioritize the sense of humor. It sustains everyone.”
The Most Powerful Force in the World is Empathy.
“Empathy is powerful because it demands action. This world is a needy place and we cannot afford the luxury of inaction. Pledge yourself to empathy. It will require you — when you can — to take on monumental action on behalf of others, but it also requires you to take smaller actions every single day. Hold the door for the person behind you, smile at somebody who never gets a smile. Just do it. Our world needs you desperately.”
The post 5 Secrets Adults Won’t Tell You – Kyle Zimmer’s Commencement Speech at Saint Mary’s College appeared first on First Book Blog.
. . . oops, don't want to have to make like Sylvester and use my magic pebble to hide from the boys in blue. But I am going to California next week and will be giving two presentations to which you are all invited. Both are free.
The first is on Thursday, February 18th, where I'll be at Pomona College in Claremont, speaking on "Children's Literature and Adults: Where do we get off?" It's at 4:15 PM, Ena Thompson Room, Crookshank Hall. I hear there will be snacks.
On Friday the 19th, I'll be speaking at my alma mater Pitzer College, also in Claremont, with fellow alum Susan Patron on "What Makes a Good Banned Book?: How Children's Literature Gets Into Trouble." That will be from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, reception to follow, Broad Performance Space. Those with testicular fortitude are welcome to join us.
Carter Jefferson reviews Words That Ring Through Time: The Fifty Most Important Speeches in History and How They Changed Our World By Terry Golway on the Internet Review of Books: "You’ve probably heard of William Jennings Bryan’s "Cross of Gold" oration, but have you ever read the entire speech? Do you know what prompted Bryan to hold forth, and what resulted from his effort? And surely you’ve heard someone speak of the U. S. as a "City Upon a Hill," a model for the rest of the world. But do you know who said that, and why he did? And then there are speeches few of us have ever heard of that may have changed history. On the eve of England’s battle with the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth I said she had "but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart of a king . . . ." She did, and the English won that fight. In 1873, Susan B. Anthony set a goal for women for which they still strive, but most people don’t know that women were not the only ones she fought for: "[E]very discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several states is today null and void, precisely as is every one against Negroes." This book includes fifty-one speeches ranging from Moses’ farewell to the Israelites to Obama’s keynote address at the Democratic convention of 2004, and provides a two- or three-page introduction explaining the circumstances in which each was given. A fine reference book, it’s also worth dipping into for just a few minutes now and then to learn a little history most people don’t know about.
Coming this Fall is Words That Ring Through Time: The Fifty Most Important Speeches in History and How They Changed Our World. Edited by historian and author Terry Golway, this superb new collection is reviewed in the August 1 issue of Booklist: "Selected and introduced by historian Golway, the historically significant speeches in this anthology either crystallized a philosophy or addressed war, revolution, or national liberation. Prefacing them with the immediate contexts of their delivery, Golway permits the words to speak for themselves, without much analysis of their rhetorical arrangement. Readers are immediately immersed. . . Also includes a Barack Obama speech, possibly the first collection to confer consequential significance to his oratory."
Even though October was supposed to be the busy month, November is shaking up to be even more crazy. Between wedding plans, signings, work travel, and three bar mitzvahs, I'm seriously scheduled.
Take a look!
Nov 6 (TONIGHT): New Voices Reading at the Dartmouth Bookstore, Hanover, NH. I'll be reading with ACE Bauer, Heather Tomlinson, Carrie Jones, Jo Knowles, and Greg Fishbone!
Nov 7: We do it again at THE FLYING PIG, Elizabeth Bluemle's amazing bookstore in Essex, VT!!! And she is bringing PIZZA!!!
NCTE goings on: I'll be signing at the ROARING BROOK PRESS booth at 3pm on Saturday, Nov 18. Prior to that, come hear an interesting lecture on Teaching with a Social Conscience.
And on Sunday, Nov 19, I'll be wearing all three of my hats: writer, sales person, and consumer, in a lecture, "It's not what your publisher can do for you, but what you can do for your publisher," at the JEWISH CHILDREN'S WRITERS BOOK CONFERENCE at the 92nd St Y! (If I didn't have a podium, I would have worn all my different SHOES....)
Dec 11-17: I'll be working the floor at the URJ Biennial in San Diego. I have free time on Friday night and Saturday, so if anyone out there would like to talk books, please let me know!
OTHER FYI's:
Know a great DJ in Portsmouth, NH? Please let me know.
This week, the official planning for the 4th (where does the time go) Novel Writing Retreat at Vermont College begins..
So mark your calendars: May 16-18.
Get FREE copies of HEAD CASE! Check out Book Chic on myspace or TeensReadToo for info!
And last: here is E's sermon! I think it is awesome. Enjoy the day!
Abraham’s binding of Isaac is one of the most confusing and discussed stories in the Torah. In the parsha, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his youngest son, to God. Abraham does not argue with God. He doesn’t complain one bit. He doesn’t ask God questions. Instead, Abraham simply follows God’s commands. He gets Isaac and takes him alone up the mountain. The only thing he says to God is Hineini—Here I am. Isaac asks where is the sacrifice. When Abraham says, “God will provide,” Isaac goes along. Without any argument, he follows his father up the mountain to be sacrificed to God.
It makes no sense. God had told Abraham that he would found a whole generation—how could you do this if your only child was dead? Abraham was already old—too old to have another son. What kind of father would kill his own son? What kind of son would walk up the hill knowing that he was going to be killed by his father?
It seems wrong, but no one says anything.
In the end, it works out. A messenger of God stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. A ram appears and Abraham sacrifices the animal instead of Isaac to God.
I think Abraham must have felt extremely sad and scared. He loved God, but he was Isaac’s father. He had already sent his other son, Ishmael, away. How could God ask him to do this? How could God have thought that Abraham would do it? God was not being fair. He was asking something completely unreasonable. It’s like they were both daring the other and neither one of them would back down.
Do you think God wanted Abraham to back down?
Do you think Abraham wanted God to back down?
Luckily for us, the angel stopped Abraham. I have a theory about this. I think Sarah was the Angel. Although we can’t know this for sure, I bet Abraham told his wife what he had been asked to do. Or maybe God talked to Sarah. We know that Sarah is dead when Abraham returns. I think she died during the Akeda and rescued her son.
Moms do a lot of things to help their children. Even in Harry Potter, Harry stays alive thanks to the magic of his mother’s love. The only way Sarah could convince Abraham not to be obedient was to become a messenger of God—an angel.
I think Abraham was a bit too obedient. It’s good to be obedient, but not obedient enough to kill someone. I think he took it too far, and that he was lucky that the Angel showed up. I think the Torah is telling us that it’s dangerous to always just say yes.
I try to live by the rules. I like rules, because without them, we would be disorganized. I would be disorganized. But sometimes, the rules are hard to follow. Sometimes, they need to be challenged. No one likes to admit they made a mistake, but sometimes we have to. I think this parsha shows that God is okay with that.
When you’re becoming a bar mitzvah, there are a lot of rules. There are a lot of things you have to practice. And you can’t always do what you want to do. But you get a lot of joy from being part of the community and getting the task done. When you get a bar mitzvah, you also earn the responsibility to ask questions.
I would like to thank:
My mom and dad
The rabbi
All my teachers
My sister, Michael and my entire family
Everyone who came to share this day with me.
G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., is the director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center and Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington. He has written numerous books, including Overcoming Your Alcohol or Drug Problem, and holds a Senior Research Scientist Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Below Marlatt outlines a controversy in treatment for us. Please feel free to leave your feedback in the comments section.
Controversy: Is Abstinence the Only Acceptable Goal in Addiction Treatment?
(more…)
Share This
.jpg?picon=770)
.jpg?picon=380)
Author: Clark Taylor
I hope your lecture on children's literature and adults will be published in Horn Book. It's an intriguing topic that I've only seen covered well by The Onion.