Possible book for critical analysis podcast...

For my Critical analysis podcast, I am strongly thinking of speaking about the book Black Like Kyra, White Like Me. In this book, a young white girl has her first encounter with racism, witnessing the way her family, friends and neighbors treat her new friend Kyra when she moves in next door.  Kyra and her family are black, and at first, the new neighborhood they moved to (which was supposed to be safer) was not welcoming or accepting of them.  Christy, the young white narrator, becomes overwhelmed, frustrated and sad by the way people treat Kyra and her family.  Her young age and accepting personality makes it hard for her to understand why people use violence and are angry about the new family moving in, and she openly asks her parents and Kyra's family about this.  Once the issue is spoken about and the two families meet and become friendly, the prejudices slowly fade away.  Christy learns that some people cannot accept those who are different from them, like her other two best friends (who eventually moved away), but other people can look beyond the color differences and see a person for who they are on the inside.  Within this book, issues of race are at the center, but family values, relationships and violence are also addressed.  I want to explore the specific wording used by the author to describe these events, as well as read the book from a child's perspective.

Quotable Quotes - "When The Emperor Was Divine"

"'You can't remember everything,' she said. 'And even when you can you shouldn't,' said the girl. 'I wouldn't say that,' said her mother. 'You didn't,' said the girl."

This conversation takes place while the mother is talking to the brother; a quick side conversation with mother and daughter.  When I was reading and came across these sentences, I stopped and re-read them.  The girl's comment is stated in such a matter-of-fact way, but I think she understood it's deeper meaning, which I picked up on as well. "...even when you can you shouldn't," she says about remembering things.  Exploring the notion that there are things that happen within ones life that aren't necessarily pleasant to remember, that shouldn't be remembered.  Including this statement in the book even before the girl, her mother and brother get to the camp is interesting and leads the reader to see that her father's arrest and other past experiences are so negative or painful that she wants her brother to know that he does not need to remember everything.  She could be telling him this as advice for the future, or applying it to things in his past as she seems to have done, or tried to do, with her own.  I found this statement very powerful because, unfortunately, there are things that can happen in one's life that should not be remembered.  Whether it is the memory of a traumatic event or highly negative thoughts you had, the specifics are not pleasant and event should not be relived.  While I think that the lessons and positive experiences that may have resulted from such traumas, such as learning to avoid certain situations, are important and should be remembered, I agree with the girl's statement about not always needing to remember everything.

"Life was easier, they said, on this side of the fence."

This is said by the girl as she explaining what the people who had been recruited by farmers and traveled to work in other places specified by the War Relocation Authority.  Some returned unscathed and without issue, but others returned with horror stories, vowing to never leave the camp area again.  The vast changes that swept through most of the United States in regards to peoples thoughts and treatment of the Japanese population is seen even in this little explanation.  Men and women come back with stories about signs that read "No Japs Allowed" and other restrictions and exclusions that were put on them in public places.  This directly correlates to the and segregation of blacks and whites - showing yet another time in history when fear and difference took hold of our leaders and influenced policy.  When one prefers to live in a confined and imprisoned area versus the outside world, there is clearly a major problem, and quite possibly multiple problems within the greater community. 

Chapter 3 & 4 - Comments/Thoughts/Questions

          When reading chapter 3 of Getting Beyond “I Like the Book”, there were a few points that stood out to me and I found very interesting. Among them, the most prevelant section was the one that discussed using books to encourage discussion and understanding of topics.  Along with this, by giving children the opportunity to read books that have themes addressing equality, justice and other important issues, you are also creating a space for them to explore these topics and discuss them with their peers.  As Epstein described, we must remember the idea of “children as active in the construction of their own realities and subjectives.”  This notion of recognizing that the students themselves are actively involved in their own learning and deconstructing of ideas is one that is extremely important and vital to have in order to create a strong and positive learning environment. 

             In chapter 4, I found myself very interested in "Lee's Six Sessions for Working With a Picture Book."  After reading the chart and descriptive sections on each session, I realized how helpful these ideas will be once I start teaching, and wish that I have seen them practiced more often.  I babysit for kids in grades Pre-K - 3rd, and I can only recall very few instances of them describing more than one of Lee's sessions as something they had done that day or week.  In order to teach the whole child and appeal to the multiple intelligences of your students, a variety of learning experiences and choices must exist.  By utilizing different types of sessions when discussing a book, you are allowing each child a more equal chance to thrive and learn, while also teaching different methods and introducing them to different styles.  The snippets of conversations that were included in certain sections were also helpful in understanding the concept as a whole, as well as showed it's direct effect and/or application to the students. 

Positioning & Being Positioned - Blog Post #2

My Names Are...
-Alicia, Ali, Leesh, Ya-Ya, Shash/a, (Baby) Garf & Garfalarf

Alicia: This is my first name and the name that most people call me, in both formal and informal settings.  I use this name to introduce myself to people as well as what all my important documents and any forms that require a name say. As is custom in Jewish tradition, I am named after someone from my family who passed away before I was born.  My mothers father, Abe/Abraham died a few years before I was born, and my mom and dad decided I should have a name beginning with an A to honor his memory. The only disadvantage that I feel with my given name is that sometimes people have trouble pronouncing it and/or spelling it.  It is not a particularly popular name though, so I do feel unique and never really run into the problem of being in class with another Alicia.
Ali: Ali is a name that is mainly used by my family members and my best friend from home, Sarah.  I never specifically asked for a nickname or shortened version of Alicia, but it somehow came to be around my early teen years.  In emails with my mom and grandma, they both address it to Ali.  I like that some of my family members have a nickname for me because it makes me feel closer to them and gives me a more personal connection.  With Sarah, she has just always called me Ali.  Whether we are talking on the phone, writing letters or see each other in person, she always says/writes/screams ALI!! Having her call me this, while none of my other friends do, gives us a sort-of unspoken bond.  A lot of people have the name Ali or use it as a nickname, so I am glad it is not the name I am called most often; but enjoy hearing it from the specific people that have used it for years.
Leesh: This is a nickname that many of my friends from home use as well as some of my friends and roommate here at AU.  Since the "sh" sound is in the middle of my name, this is a nickname that many people thought fit me, and was easy to connect to my real name.  It's not a name that I would introduce myself by, and I like that only people I am close to use it.  I wouldn't want someone I just met calling me Leesh, just because it is a nickname I associate with many of the close friends I have had throughout my life. It's also a playful and informal name, so I only like using it in those settings.
Ya-Ya: My godson, Sawyer, coined this nickname for me when he was about a year and a half.  Alicia is definitely a hard name for a young child to pronounce (his older siblings called me Aweesha when they were his age), and after hearing my name so much and seeing me all the time, he came up with Ya-Ya.  Hearing stories from his mom about questions he asked about me or things he said regarding me is always cute and exciting, because Ya-Ya is always thrown in there a bunch of times.  He is now three and can say Alicia, but he only does so occasionally.  Ya-Ya is a nickname that he mainly associates with me, and many times his mom or siblings call me Ya-Ya as well.  Because Sawyer thought of this name himself, it's really special to me and holds a lot of memories within it.
Shash/a: Shash or Shasha (depending on the specific person) is a nickname I acquired when I was fifteen.  The two girls I babysat for in middle and high school called me Shasha, starting because they could not pronounce Alicia and then it just stuck from there.  A few times the older girl would call me Alicia-Shasha, but Shasha was the main name the girls used for me, and soon after, their parents as well. I found it adorable and it is again special to me because they created it themselves.  Because of their nickname for me, my older sister Pam put her own spin on it and calls me Shash.  She found the way they said it adorable, and shortened it to Shash to make it her own unique name for me.  I call her a nickname as well, Pammo.  Having these special names for each other definitely add to our sisterly bond and also give us the opportunity to explain the unique names when others hear us say them.
(Baby) Garf: This is a nickname that also has a few varieties and are used by specific people.  For my Bat Mitzvah, all of my dad's closest friends got me a Tiffany's heart link bracelet with the name Baby Garf engraved on it.  My dad was known as Garf by his friends for the majority of his life, and everyone always commented on how alike were were and how close of a bond we have.  Based on this, they started to call me Baby Garf whenever I was with them.  The name faded in and out throughout my life, but was brought up and used strongly again after my dad passed away.  Everyone said that I was living my life with many of the ideals and actions that my dad led his, and that I had a lot of him within me.  Because of this, my dad's closest friends still call me Baby Garf when we are together.  Garf is a name that has been used mainly by two educators I have had; my seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher, Mr. Christopher Williams, and my college literature professor and mentor, Professor Adam Tamashasky.  Both of them know the story of my dad's friends calling me Baby Garf, and they both just started calling me Garf in class and via emails.  Having a nickname that has been used by many different people in my life is pretty cool, and makes me feel as if they will always remember me for many things, including the name Garf. Not too many people know the Baby Garf story, so having these two teachers use it in both an academic and friendship setting is somewhat exciting and nostalgic.  I like that is is a very unique name and that only a select few people use it, adding to its meaning.
Garfalarf: This is definitely my silliest nickname, and also the only one used by a single person.  My close friend Meg started referring to me as Garfalarf one day, and it really stuck! She refers to me with this name when she is talking to me, as well as when she is talking to others about me.  Some of her friends that I have never even met only know me as that! I like having a nickname that only one person uses because it really does add a special bond between the two of us. 

My Names Are Not...
-Alyssa, Alecia, Alicia Keys, Garfunkel


Alyssa & Alecia: These are two names that people call me accidentally, either because they cannot pronounce it or because they think it is said that way based on the spelling.  It happens frequently when I start new classes or meet people who have only known my name on paper or in emails. When professors take attendance, they normally pronounce my name wrong the first few classes.  I always correct them politely, but I feel badly sometimes.  I don't want to come across as pompous or rude, but I like the way my name is pronounced and want to tell them the correct way to pronounce it.  
Alicia Keys: Ever since Alicia Keys become a popular singer, some people call me Alicia Keys.  While I respect her as a singer, I don't like when people call me that.  A few people who I met in high school or freshman year at AU sometimes said, "Oh! Like Alicia Keys!," but I always explained that yes, that is the way you say it, but I'm just Alicia - no Keys.  There are some people from high school who I had choir class with and they still call me Alicia Keys, but since I rarely see them now that I live in Washington DC, it doesn't bother me as much.
Garfunkel: A lot of times when I meet new people and tell them my whole name, Alicia Garfinkel, I get references to Simon & Garfunkel. While they were also great musicians, I do not have the same name as them.  Also, I have heard that from people all the time while growing up, and it's just gotten old.  I have also been asked if I was related to him, which is annoying since the spelling and pronunciation are both different, but I just answer no and explain the differences.  Finally, I feel like some of the times I have been called Garfunkel have been by people just trying to mock and make fun of me.  


And those are all of my names and all of the names I am not!