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Erasing the Past, Erasing Ourselves

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Erasing history is one of the most profound violations a culture can commit—not just against others, but against itself. Though it’s a tactic as old as civilization, we’re witnessing its resurgence today on many fronts - even in the form of national park signage and picture books depicting women's history. Sadly, we also see it among individuals, who refuse to listen to each other, some mired so deep in their own pain they cannot see the pain of others. Dystopian novels like The Giver by Lois Lowry and 1984 by George Orwell have long warned us of the dangers: whether it’s done under the pretense of protecting people from painful truths or to serve the agenda of a controlling regime, the outcome is the same. Erasure silences conversation. It cuts off the possibility of understanding, empathy, and progress. It doesn’t eliminate the past—it attempts to sever our memory of it. And this tendency crosses political and ideological lines. When we choose not to engage with each othe...
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The Complex History of Columbus Day

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 There is ongoing controversy over whether our nation should continue celebrating Columbus Day. It's well understood that Christopher Columbus did not truly "discover" America in 1492, as Indigenous peoples had been living on the land for thousands of years. However, the origins of the holiday are more complex than they might seem and are not solely about honoring the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag. Instead, Columbus Day has deeper roots in the history of Italian immigration to the United States and the struggle of Italian Americans to gain acceptance and recognition. Between roughly 1880 and 1924, more than 4 million Italians—primarily from Southern Italy and Sicily, including my own ancestors—arrived on American shores in search of opportunities they couldn't find in their homeland, much like countless other immigrants seeking a better life in the United States.   Photo by Lewis Hine Like other immigrants they were not m...
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Notre Dame Returns!

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A global-wide celebration begins today for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral after the devastating fire that closed it for three years. The opening of this faith center marks a substantial contribution to the history of this grand monument, but also shines a light on the crafting of every cathedral. These great cathedrals not only provided multi-generational employment for urban centers, but also spiritual and cultural centers for residents and visitors. It always confounds me that these cathedrals were dreamed and planned by dreamers and workers who would never see their completion. Do we begin ventures like this today? Perhaps we do when we plant trees, but in many cases our dreamers and planners do not think past their own lifespans. We need more of that. In any case, read more about cathedrals.
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The Story Behind the Book

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I just spent a wonderful weekend with educators at NCTE and had conversations about pairing fiction and nonfiction books in the classroom. While most of these discussions involved books about the environment an article this morning in Publishers Weekly Daily (PW Daily)reminded me of some other connections. I just had to share this with you all. A Murder in Massachusetts is the story of the murder that inspired America's first crime novel -- The Scarlet Letter . It reminded me of two other books that have a similar connection -- A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, which weaves the true crime story of Grace Brown, who also inpsired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy . I can already hear the classroom discussions!
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The Story Behind Columbus Day

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 There is a lot of controversy about whether or not our nation should be celebrating Columbus Day. Obviously, we know that Cristoforo Colombo did not discover America in 1492 because there were already people living on the land. The story of the holiday, though, is much more complex and doesn't have as much to do about the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag. It has much more to do with the history of Italian immigrants in the United States.  From NY Public Library -- from 1892. Between around 1880 and 1924, more than 4 million Italians, mainly from Southern Italy and Sicily, (my ancestors included) arrived on American shores looking for opportunities unavailable to them in their home country -- like all immigrants coming to America.  Photo by Lewis Hine Like other immigrants they were not met with open arms. Read the White House   Proclamation on Columbus Day from 2022.  "Things have not always been easy; prejudice and violence often stalled the ...
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Italian Heritage Month 2

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 Are you looking for a few children's titles to enjoy this month during Italian Heritage Month?  Here are some favorites to explore:  Books by Donna Jo Napoli
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Italian Heritage Month

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 It's Italian Heritage Month and for the first time in my personal history I'm celebrating this month as a dual Italian American citizen, making this month even more meaningful for me. As part of the process of becoming a dual citizen I've been diving into the canon of Italian literature. I've read most in English, only diving into a few texts in the original Italian.  I've loved all the books I've read - both for adult readers and children. Here are a few of the adult books:  
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